1979–80 Liverpool F.C. season

The 1979–80 season was Liverpool Football Club's 88th season in existence and their 18th consecutive season in the First Division. Liverpool won its 12th league title, and its second in successive seasons. David Johnson was the top scorer while Kenny Dalglish, Phil Neal and Phil Thompson were regularly starting in the side. In the European Cup, there was an early disappointment with a loss to Dinamo Tbilisi in the first round. Liverpool went on to lose in the semi-finals of the FA Cup to the eventual runners-up, Arsenal, after a four-game marathon. They also lost in the semi-finals of the Football League Cup to the eventual runners-up, Nottingham Forest, who lost in the final to Wolverhampton Wanderers, a side captained by former Liverpool captain Emlyn Hughes, who left Liverpool before the start of the league season.

Liverpool F.C.
1979–80 season
ManagerBob Paisley
First DivisionChampions
European CupFirst round
FA CupSemi-finals
League CupSemi-finals
FA Charity ShieldWinners
Top goalscorerLeague: David Johnson (21)
All: David Johnson (27)

Squad

Goalkeepers

Defenders

Midfielders

Attackers

League table

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification or relegation
1Liverpool (C)42251078130+5160Qualification for the European Cup first round
2Manchester United42241086535+3058Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round
3Ipswich Town42229116839+2953
4Arsenal42181685236+1652
5Nottingham Forest42208146343+2048Qualification for the European Cup first round[a]
Source: World Football
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions
Notes:

Results

First Division

DateOpponentsVenueResultScorersAttendanceReport 1Report 2
21-Aug-79Bolton WanderersH0–045,900ReportReport
25-Aug-79West Bromwich AlbionH3–1Johnson 11', 58' McDermott 52'48,021ReportReport
01-Sep-79SouthamptonA2–3Johnson 16' Irwin 74'21,402ReportReport
08-Sep-79Coventry CityH4–0Johnson 27', 90' Case 58' Dalglish 62'39,926ReportReport
15-Sep-79Leeds UnitedA1–1McDermott 81'39,779ReportReport
22-Sep-79Norwich CityH0–044,120ReportReport
29-Sep-79Nottingham ForestA0–128,262ReportReport
06-Oct-79Bristol CityH4–0Johnson 3' Dalglish 30' R Kennedy 34' McDermott 80'38,213ReportReport
09-Oct-79Bolton WanderersA1–1Dalglish 80'25,571ReportReport
13-Oct-79Ipswich TownA2–1Hunter o.g. 18' Johnson 54'25,310ReportReport
20-Oct-79EvertonH2–2Lyons o.g. 8' R Kennedy 55'52,201ReportReport
27-Oct-79Manchester CityA4–0Johnson 12' Dalglish 31', 67' R Kennedy 86'48,128ReportReport
03-Nov-79Wolverhampton WanderersH3–0Dalglish 4', 52' R Kennedy 67'49,541ReportReport
10-Nov-79Brighton & Hove AlbionA4–1R Kennedy 19' Dalglish 65', 83' Johnson 67'29,682ReportReport
17-Nov-79Tottenham HotspurH2–1McDermott 34', 69'51,092ReportReport
24-Nov-79ArsenalA0–055,561ReportReport
01-Dec-79MiddlesbroughH4–0McDermott 5' Hansen 13' Johnson 73' R Kennedy 84'39,885ReportReport
08-Dec-79Aston VillaA3–1R Kennedy 55' Hansen 60' McDermott 74'41,160ReportReport
15-Dec-79Crystal PalaceH3–0Case 44' Dalglish 48' McDermott 67'42,898ReportReport
22-Dec-79Derby CountyA3–1Davies o.g. 16' McDermott 53 Pen' Johnson 55'24,945ReportReport
26-Dec-79Manchester UnitedH2–0Hansen 15' Johnson 85'51,073ReportReport
29-Dec-79West Bromwich AlbionA2–0Johnson 24', 44'34,915ReportReport
12-Jan-80SouthamptonH1–1McDermott 60 Pen'44,655ReportReport
19-Jan-80Coventry CityA0–131,578ReportReport
09-Feb-80Norwich CityA5–3Fairclough 4', 18', 75' Dalglish 88' Case 89'25,624ReportReport
19-Feb-80Nottingham ForestH2–0McDermott 80' R Kennedy 84'45,093ReportReport
23-Feb-80Ipswich TownH1–1Fairclough 8'47,566ReportReport
26-Feb-80Wolverhampton WanderersA0–136,693ReportReport
01-Mar-80EvertonA2–1Johnson 19' Neal 31 Pen'53,013ReportReport
11-Mar-80Manchester CityH2–0Caton o.g. 56' Souness 83'40,443ReportReport
15-Mar-80Bristol CityA3–1R Kennedy 5' Dalglish 55', 89'27,187ReportReport
19-Mar-80Leeds UnitedH3–0Johnson 33', 80' A Kennedy 60'37,008ReportReport
22-Mar-80Brighton & Hove AlbionH1–0Hansen 70'42,747ReportReport
29-Mar-80Tottenham HotspurA0–232,114ReportReport
01-Apr-80Stoke CityH1–0Dalglish 34'36,415ReportReport
05-Apr-80Manchester UnitedA1–2Dalglish 14'57,342ReportReport
08-Apr-80Derby CountyH3–0Irwin 20' Johnson 50' Osgood o.g. 83'40,932ReportReport
19-Apr-80ArsenalH1–1Dalglish 12'46,878ReportReport
23-Apr-80Stoke CityA2–0Johnson 34' Fairclough 60'32,000ReportReport
26-Apr-80Crystal PalaceA0–045,583ReportReport
03-May-80Aston VillaH4–1Johnson 3', 72' Cohen 50' Blake o.g. 78'51,541ReportReport
06-May-80MiddlesbroughA0–124,458ReportReport

FA Charity Shield

Liverpool3–1Arsenal
McDermott 38' 65'
Dalglish 63'
ReportSunderland 88'
Attendance: 92,000
Liverpool
Arsenal
Liverpool:
GK1 Ray Clemence
DF2 Phil Neal
DF3 Alan Kennedy
DF4 Phil Thompson
MF5 Ray Kennedy
DF6 Alan Hansen
FW7 Kenny Dalglish
MF8 Jimmy Case
FW9 David Johnson
MF10 Terry McDermott
MF11 Graeme Souness
Substitutes:
MF12 Steve Heighway
MF13 Sammy Lee
DF14 Avi Cohen
FW15 David Fairclough
GK16 Steve Ogrizovic
Manager:
Bob Paisley
Arsenal
GK1 Pat Jennings
DF2 Pat Rice
DF3 Sammy Nelson
MF4 Brian Talbot
DF5 David O'Leary
DF6 Steve Walford
MF7 Liam Brady
FW8 Alan Sunderland
FW9 Frank Stapleton
MF10 David Price
MF11 Graham Rix
Substitutes:
DF Willie Young
MF John Hollins
Manager:
Terry Neill

Match rules

  • 90 minutes, no extra time
  • Five named substitutes
  • Maximum of three substitutions

FA Cup

DateOpponentsVenueResultScorersAttendanceReport 1Report 2
05-Jan-80Grimsby TownH5–0Souness 19' Johnson 42', 65', 74' Case 87'49,706ReportReport
26-Jan-80Nottingham ForestA2–0Dalglish 31' McDermott 71 Pen'33,277ReportReport
16-Feb-80BuryH2–0Fairclough 64', 81'43,769ReportReport
08-Mar-80Tottenham HotspurA1–0McDermott 38'48,033ReportReport
12-Apr-80ArsenalN0–050,174ReportReport
16-Apr-80ArsenalN1–1Fairclough 51'40,679ReportReport
28-Apr-80ArsenalN1–1Dalglish 90'42,975ReportReport
01-May-80ArsenalN0–135,335ReportReport

League Cup

DateOpponentsVenueResultScorersAttendanceReport 1Report 2
29-Aug-79Tranmere RoversA0–016,759ReportReport
04-Sep-79Tranmere RoversH4–0Thompson 46' Dalglish 49', 75' Fairclough 83'24,785ReportReport
25-Sep-79ChesterfieldH3–1Fairclough 10' Dalglish 34' McDermott 80'20,960ReportReport
30-Oct-79Exeter CityH2–0Fairclough 60', 90'21,019ReportReport
05-Dec-79Norwich CityA3–1Johnson 11', 31' Dalglish 37'23,000ReportReport
22-Jan-80Nottingham ForestA0–132,234ReportReport
12-Feb-80Nottingham ForestH1–1Fairclough 89' (semi-final, second leg)50,880ReportReport

European Cup

DateOpponentsVenueResultScorersAttendanceReport 1Report 2
19-Sep-79Dinamo TbilisiH2–1Johnson 19' Case 44'35,720ReportReport
03-Oct-79Dinamo TbilisiA0–380,000ReportReport

References