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
Manager	Bob Paisley
First Division	Champions
European Cup	First round
FA Cup	Semi-finals
League Cup	Semi-finals
FA Charity Shield	Winners
Top goalscorer	League: David Johnson (21) All: David Johnson (27)
Home colours Away colours Third colours

Squad

Goalkeepers

• Ray Clemence
• Steve Ogrizovic

Defenders

• Avi Cohen
• Brian Kettle
• Colin Irwin
• Phil Neal
• Alan Hansen
• Phil Thompson
• Alan Kennedy
• Richard Money

Midfielders

• Jimmy Case
• Steve Heighway
• Sammy Lee
• Ray Kennedy
• Terry McDermott
• Kevin Sheedy
• Graeme Souness

Attackers

• David Fairclough
• Kenny Dalglish
• Howard Gayle
• David Johnson
• Frank McGarvey

League table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Liverpool (C)	42	25	10	7	81	30	+51	60	Qualification for the European Cup first round
2	Manchester United	42	24	10	8	65	35	+30	58	Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round
3	Ipswich Town	42	22	9	11	68	39	+29	53
4	Arsenal	42	18	16	8	52	36	+16	52
5	Nottingham Forest	42	20	8	14	63	43	+20	48	Qualification for the European Cup first round

Source: World Football
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions
Notes:

Results

First Division

Main article: 1979–80 Football League § First Division

Date	Opponents	Venue	Result	Scorers	Attendance	Report 1	Report 2
21-Aug-79	Bolton Wanderers	H	0–0		45,900	Report	Report
25-Aug-79	West Bromwich Albion	H	3–1	Johnson 11', 58' McDermott 52'	48,021	Report	Report
01-Sep-79	Southampton	A	2–3	Johnson 16' Irwin 74'	21,402	Report	Report
08-Sep-79	Coventry City	H	4–0	Johnson 27', 90' Case 58' Dalglish 62'	39,926	Report	Report
15-Sep-79	Leeds United	A	1–1	McDermott 81'	39,779	Report	Report
22-Sep-79	Norwich City	H	0–0		44,120	Report	Report
29-Sep-79	Nottingham Forest	A	0–1		28,262	Report	Report
06-Oct-79	Bristol City	H	4–0	Johnson 3' Dalglish 30' R Kennedy 34' McDermott 80'	38,213	Report	Report
09-Oct-79	Bolton Wanderers	A	1–1	Dalglish 80'	25,571	Report	Report
13-Oct-79	Ipswich Town	A	2–1	Hunter o.g. 18' Johnson 54'	25,310	Report	Report
20-Oct-79	Everton	H	2–2	Lyons o.g. 8' R Kennedy 55'	52,201	Report	Report
27-Oct-79	Manchester City	A	4–0	Johnson 12' Dalglish 31', 67' R Kennedy 86'	48,128	Report	Report
03-Nov-79	Wolverhampton Wanderers	H	3–0	Dalglish 4', 52' R Kennedy 67'	49,541	Report	Report
10-Nov-79	Brighton & Hove Albion	A	4–1	R Kennedy 19' Dalglish 65', 83' Johnson 67'	29,682	Report	Report
17-Nov-79	Tottenham Hotspur	H	2–1	McDermott 34', 69'	51,092	Report	Report
24-Nov-79	Arsenal	A	0–0		55,561	Report	Report
01-Dec-79	Middlesbrough	H	4–0	McDermott 5' Hansen 13' Johnson 73' R Kennedy 84'	39,885	Report	Report
08-Dec-79	Aston Villa	A	3–1	R Kennedy 55' Hansen 60' McDermott 74'	41,160	Report	Report
15-Dec-79	Crystal Palace	H	3–0	Case 44' Dalglish 48' McDermott 67'	42,898	Report	Report
22-Dec-79	Derby County	A	3–1	Davies o.g. 16' McDermott 53 Pen' Johnson 55'	24,945	Report	Report
26-Dec-79	Manchester United	H	2–0	Hansen 15' Johnson 85'	51,073	Report	Report
29-Dec-79	West Bromwich Albion	A	2–0	Johnson 24', 44'	34,915	Report	Report
12-Jan-80	Southampton	H	1–1	McDermott 60 Pen'	44,655	Report	Report
19-Jan-80	Coventry City	A	0–1		31,578	Report	Report
09-Feb-80	Norwich City	A	5–3	Fairclough 4', 18', 75' Dalglish 88' Case 89'	25,624	Report	Report
19-Feb-80	Nottingham Forest	H	2–0	McDermott 80' R Kennedy 84'	45,093	Report	Report
23-Feb-80	Ipswich Town	H	1–1	Fairclough 8'	47,566	Report	Report
26-Feb-80	Wolverhampton Wanderers	A	0–1		36,693	Report	Report
01-Mar-80	Everton	A	2–1	Johnson 19' Neal 31 Pen'	53,013	Report	Report
11-Mar-80	Manchester City	H	2–0	Caton o.g. 56' Souness 83'	40,443	Report	Report
15-Mar-80	Bristol City	A	3–1	R Kennedy 5' Dalglish 55', 89'	27,187	Report	Report
19-Mar-80	Leeds United	H	3–0	Johnson 33', 80' A Kennedy 60'	37,008	Report	Report
22-Mar-80	Brighton & Hove Albion	H	1–0	Hansen 70'	42,747	Report	Report
29-Mar-80	Tottenham Hotspur	A	0–2		32,114	Report	Report
01-Apr-80	Stoke City	H	1–0	Dalglish 34'	36,415	Report	Report
05-Apr-80	Manchester United	A	1–2	Dalglish 14'	57,342	Report	Report
08-Apr-80	Derby County	H	3–0	Irwin 20' Johnson 50' Osgood o.g. 83'	40,932	Report	Report
19-Apr-80	Arsenal	H	1–1	Dalglish 12'	46,878	Report	Report
23-Apr-80	Stoke City	A	2–0	Johnson 34' Fairclough 60'	32,000	Report	Report
26-Apr-80	Crystal Palace	A	0–0		45,583	Report	Report
03-May-80	Aston Villa	H	4–1	Johnson 3', 72' Cohen 50' Blake o.g. 78'	51,541	Report	Report
06-May-80	Middlesbrough	A	0–1		24,458	Report	Report

FA Charity Shield

Main article: 1979 FA Charity Shield

11 August 1979

Liverpool	3–1	Arsenal
McDermott 38' 65' Dalglish 63'	Report	Sunderland 88'

Wembley Stadium, London

Attendance: 92,000

Liverpool

Arsenal

Liverpool: GK 1 Ray Clemence DF 2 Phil Neal DF 3 Alan Kennedy DF 4 Phil Thompson MF 5 Ray Kennedy DF 6 Alan Hansen FW 7 Kenny Dalglish MF 8 Jimmy Case FW 9 David Johnson MF 10 Terry McDermott MF 11 Graeme Souness Substitutes: MF 12 Steve Heighway MF 13 Sammy Lee DF 14 Avi Cohen FW 15 David Fairclough GK 16 Steve Ogrizovic Manager: Bob Paisley

Arsenal GK 1 Pat Jennings DF 2 Pat Rice DF 3 Sammy Nelson MF 4 Brian Talbot DF 5 David O'Leary DF 6 Steve Walford MF 7 Liam Brady FW 8 Alan Sunderland FW 9 Frank Stapleton MF 10 David Price MF 11 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

Main article: 1979–80 FA Cup

Date	Opponents	Venue	Result	Scorers	Attendance	Report 1	Report 2
05-Jan-80	Grimsby Town	H	5–0	Souness 19' Johnson 42', 65', 74' Case 87'	49,706	Report	Report
26-Jan-80	Nottingham Forest	A	2–0	Dalglish 31' McDermott 71 Pen'	33,277	Report	Report
16-Feb-80	Bury	H	2–0	Fairclough 64', 81'	43,769	Report	Report
08-Mar-80	Tottenham Hotspur	A	1–0	McDermott 38'	48,033	Report	Report
12-Apr-80	Arsenal	N	0–0		50,174	Report	Report
16-Apr-80	Arsenal	N	1–1	Fairclough 51'	40,679	Report	Report
28-Apr-80	Arsenal	N	1–1	Dalglish 90'	42,975	Report	Report
01-May-80	Arsenal	N	0–1		35,335	Report	Report

League Cup

Main article: 1979–80 Football League Cup

Date	Opponents	Venue	Result	Scorers	Attendance	Report 1	Report 2
29-Aug-79	Tranmere Rovers	A	0–0		16,759	Report	Report
04-Sep-79	Tranmere Rovers	H	4–0	Thompson 46' Dalglish 49', 75' Fairclough 83'	24,785	Report	Report
25-Sep-79	Chesterfield	H	3–1	Fairclough 10' Dalglish 34' McDermott 80'	20,960	Report	Report
30-Oct-79	Exeter City	H	2–0	Fairclough 60', 90'	21,019	Report	Report
05-Dec-79	Norwich City	A	3–1	Johnson 11', 31' Dalglish 37'	23,000	Report	Report
22-Jan-80	Nottingham Forest	A	0–1		32,234	Report	Report
12-Feb-80	Nottingham Forest	H	1–1	Fairclough 89' (semi-final, second leg)	50,880	Report	Report

European Cup

Main article: 1979–80 European Cup

Date	Opponents	Venue	Result	Scorers	Attendance	Report 1	Report 2
19-Sep-79	Dinamo Tbilisi	H	2–1	Johnson 19' Case 44'	35,720	Report	Report
03-Oct-79	Dinamo Tbilisi	A	0–3		80,000	Report	Report

References

• LFC History.net – Games for the 1979–80 season
• Liverweb - Games for the 1979-80 season