Season
1981-82
Manchester UnitedRon Atkinson
of 22 in the First Division
- 45
- Played
- 49%
- Win rate
Season in brief
3rd of 22 in the First Division, up from 8th the year before. Frank Stapleton led the scoring with 13 goals (scorer data covers 100% of the 59 United scored).
The First Division table
Final standings · 22 clubs · United and the clubs around them
- 1Liverpool42P · 26W 9D 7L · GD +4887
- 2Ipswich Town42P · 26W 5D 11L · GD +2283
- 3Manchester United42P · 22W 12D 8L · GD +3078
- 4Tottenham Hotspur42P · 20W 11D 11L · GD +1971
- 5Arsenal42P · 20W 11D 11L · GD +1171
- 21Wolverhampton Wanderers42P · 10W 10D 22L · GD -3140
- 22Middlesbrough42P · 8W 15D 19L · GD -1839
| # | Club | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 42 | 26 | 9 | 7 | 80 | 32 | +48 | 87 |
| 2 | Ipswich Town | 42 | 26 | 5 | 11 | 75 | 53 | +22 | 83 |
| 3 | Manchester United | 42 | 22 | 12 | 8 | 59 | 29 | +30 | 78 |
| 4 | Tottenham Hotspur | 42 | 20 | 11 | 11 | 67 | 48 | +19 | 71 |
| 5 | Arsenal | 42 | 20 | 11 | 11 | 48 | 37 | +11 | 71 |
| 21 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 42 | 10 | 10 | 22 | 32 | 63 | -31 | 40 |
| 22 | Middlesbrough | 42 | 8 | 15 | 19 | 34 | 52 | -18 | 39 |
Slice: the final First Division table for 1981-82, every club computed from the full league results.
Coverage: complete — all results known.
Points follow the era’s rule (two then three for a win); the order uses goal average before 1976–77 and goal difference after. The faint foot marks the lower reaches — exact relegation places varied by era.
The season, match by match
45 matchesEvery match in order — wins above the line, losses below, bar height the goal margin.
Competitions
3 enteredFirst Division
3rd of 2222W12D8L
First Division
3rd of 22- 1–2@ Coventry29/08/1981
First Division
- 0–0v Nott'm Forest31/08/1981
First Division
- 1–2v Ipswich05/09/1981
First Division
- 1–1@ Aston Villa12/09/1981
First Division
- 1–0v Swansea19/09/1981
First Division
- 2–0@ Middlesbrough22/09/1981
First Division
- 0–0@ Arsenal26/09/1981
First Division
- 1–0v Leeds30/09/1981
First Division
- 5–0v Wolves03/10/1981
First Division
- 0–0@ Man City10/10/1981
First Division
- 1–1v Birmingham17/10/1981
First Division
- 1–0v Middlesbrough21/10/1981
First Division
- 2–1@ Liverpool24/10/1981
First Division
- 2–1v Notts County31/10/1981
First Division
- 5–1@ Sunderland07/11/1981
First Division
- 1–3@ Spurs21/11/1981
First Division
- 2–0v Brighton28/11/1981
First Division
- 2–3@ Southampton05/12/1981
First Division
- 1–1v Everton06/01/1982
First Division
- 3–0@ Stoke23/01/1982
First Division
- 1–0v West Ham27/01/1982
First Division
- 0–2@ Swansea30/01/1982
First Division
- 4–1v Aston Villa06/02/1982
First Division
- 1–0@ Wolves13/02/1982
First Division
- 0–0v Arsenal20/02/1982
First Division
- 1–1v Man City27/02/1982
First Division
- 1–0@ Birmingham06/03/1982
First Division
- 0–1v Coventry17/03/1982
First Division
- 3–1@ Notts County20/03/1982
First Division
- 0–0v Sunderland27/03/1982
First Division
- 0–0@ Leeds03/04/1982
First Division
- 0–1v Liverpool07/04/1982
First Division
- 3–3@ Everton10/04/1982
First Division
- 1–0v West Brom12/04/1982
First Division
- 2–0v Spurs17/04/1982
First Division
- 1–2@ Ipswich20/04/1982
First Division
- 1–0@ Brighton24/04/1982
First Division
- 1–0v Southampton01/05/1982
First Division
- 1–0@ Nott'm Forest05/05/1982
First Division
- 1–1@ West Ham08/05/1982
First Division
- 3–0@ West Brom12/05/1982
First Division
- 2–0v Stoke15/05/1982
First Division
- 1–2L@CoventryCoventryCoventry CityFirst Division·29 Aug 1981First DivisionFirst Division
- 0–0DvNott'm ForestNott'm ForestNottingham ForestFirst Division·31 Aug 1981First DivisionFirst Division
- 1–2LvIpswichIpswichIpswich TownFirst Division·5 Sep 1981First DivisionFirst Division
- 1–1D@Aston VillaAston VillaAston VillaFirst Division·12 Sep 1981First DivisionFirst Division
- 1–0WvSwanseaSwanseaSwansea CityFirst Division·19 Sep 1981First DivisionFirst Division
- 2–0W@MiddlesbroughMiddlesbroughMiddlesbroughFirst Division·22 Sep 1981First DivisionFirst Division
- 0–0D@ArsenalArsenalArsenalFirst Division·26 Sep 1981First DivisionFirst Division
- 1–0WvLeedsLeedsLeeds UnitedFirst Division·30 Sep 1981First DivisionFirst Division
- 5–0WvWolvesWolvesWolverhampton WanderersFirst Division·3 Oct 1981First DivisionFirst Division
- 0–0D@Man CityMan CityManchester CityFirst Division·10 Oct 1981First DivisionFirst Division
- 1–1DvBirminghamBirminghamBirmingham CityFirst Division·17 Oct 1981First DivisionFirst Division
- 1–0WvMiddlesbroughMiddlesbroughMiddlesbroughFirst Division·21 Oct 1981First DivisionFirst Division
- 2–1W@LiverpoolLiverpoolLiverpoolFirst Division·24 Oct 1981First DivisionFirst Division
- 2–1WvNotts CountyNotts CountyNotts CountyFirst Division·31 Oct 1981First DivisionFirst Division
- 5–1W@SunderlandSunderlandSunderlandFirst Division·7 Nov 1981First DivisionFirst Division
- 1–3L@SpursSpursTottenham HotspurFirst Division·21 Nov 1981First DivisionFirst Division
- 2–0WvBrightonBrightonBrighton & Hove AlbionFirst Division·28 Nov 1981First DivisionFirst Division
- 2–3L@SouthamptonSouthamptonSouthamptonFirst Division·5 Dec 1981First DivisionFirst Division
- 1–1DvEvertonEvertonEvertonFirst Division·6 Jan 1982First DivisionFirst Division
- 3–0W@StokeStokeStoke CityFirst Division·23 Jan 1982First DivisionFirst Division
- 1–0WvWest HamWest HamWest Ham UnitedFirst Division·27 Jan 1982First DivisionFirst Division
- 0–2L@SwanseaSwanseaSwansea CityFirst Division·30 Jan 1982First DivisionFirst Division
- 4–1WvAston VillaAston VillaAston VillaFirst Division·6 Feb 1982First DivisionFirst Division
- 1–0W@WolvesWolvesWolverhampton WanderersFirst Division·13 Feb 1982First DivisionFirst Division
- 0–0DvArsenalArsenalArsenalFirst Division·20 Feb 1982First DivisionFirst Division
- 1–1DvMan CityMan CityManchester CityFirst Division·27 Feb 1982First DivisionFirst Division
- 1–0W@BirminghamBirminghamBirmingham CityFirst Division·6 Mar 1982First DivisionFirst Division
- 0–1LvCoventryCoventryCoventry CityFirst Division·17 Mar 1982First DivisionFirst Division
- 3–1W@Notts CountyNotts CountyNotts CountyFirst Division·20 Mar 1982First DivisionFirst Division
- 0–0DvSunderlandSunderlandSunderlandFirst Division·27 Mar 1982First DivisionFirst Division
- 0–0D@LeedsLeedsLeeds UnitedFirst Division·3 Apr 1982First DivisionFirst Division
- 0–1LvLiverpoolLiverpoolLiverpoolFirst Division·7 Apr 1982First DivisionFirst Division
- 3–3D@EvertonEvertonEvertonFirst Division·10 Apr 1982First DivisionFirst Division
- 1–0WvWest BromWest BromWest Bromwich AlbionFirst Division·12 Apr 1982First DivisionFirst Division
- 2–0WvSpursSpursTottenham HotspurFirst Division·17 Apr 1982First DivisionFirst Division
- 1–2L@IpswichIpswichIpswich TownFirst Division·20 Apr 1982First DivisionFirst Division
- 1–0W@BrightonBrightonBrighton & Hove AlbionFirst Division·24 Apr 1982First DivisionFirst Division
- 1–0WvSouthamptonSouthamptonSouthamptonFirst Division·1 May 1982First DivisionFirst Division
- 1–0W@Nott'm ForestNott'm ForestNottingham ForestFirst Division·5 May 1982First DivisionFirst Division
- 1–1D@West HamWest HamWest Ham UnitedFirst Division·8 May 1982First DivisionFirst Division
- 3–0W@West BromWest BromWest Bromwich AlbionFirst Division·12 May 1982First DivisionFirst Division
- 2–0WvStokeStokeStoke CityFirst Division·15 May 1982First DivisionFirst Division
League Cup
Round 22L
League Cup
Round 2Slice: every competitive match this season, grouped by competition.
Coverage: Result data is complete; recorded goalscorer and lineup coverage vary by era.