Season 18
August 22, 1981
The programme returned to Saturday nights. Only two games were allowed to be shown per show.
42 Episodes
Episodes
22nd August 1981: FA Charity Shield: Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur
August 22, 1981
The annual curtain-raiser between the Football League Champions and the FA Cup holders played at the Empire Stadium, Wembley.
29th August 1981
August 29, 1981
Jimmy Hill presents match highlights from the opening day of the Football League season. Nottingham Forest v Southampton Manchester City v West Bromwich Albion Swansea City v Leeds United
5th September 1981
September 5, 1981
Highlights of two Football League matches plus analysis and interviews. Manchester United v Ipswich Town West Bromwich Albion v Swansea City
12th September 1981
September 12, 1981
Highlights of two Football League matches, plus analysis and interviews. Luton Town v Sheffield Wednesday Aston Villa v Manchester United
19th September 1981
September 19, 1981
Highlights of two Football League matches, plus analysis and interviews. Liverpool v Aston Villa Norwich City v Newcastle United
26th September 1981
September 26, 1981
Bob Wilson gathers together the day's news, including the late-night pools check. Also in tonight's programme the August/September Goal of the Month competition. West Ham United v Liverpool Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur
3rd October 1981
October 3, 1981
Match highlights plus the day's news, including the late-night pools check and the result of the August/September Goal of the Month competition. Queens Park Rangers v Blackburn Rovers Liverpool v Swansea City Notts County v Arsenal
10th October 1981
October 10, 1981
Jimmy Hill presents highlights of two Football League matches, plus analysis and interviews. Ipswich Town v Wolverhampton Wanderers Bristol City v Preston North End
17th October 1981
October 17, 1981
Highlights of two Football League matches, plus analysis and interviews. Leeds United v West Bromwich Albion Arsenal v Manchester City
24th October 1981
October 24, 1981
Highlights of two Football League matches, plus analysis and interviews. Wolverhampton Wanderers v Aston Villa Crystal Palace v Derby County
31st October 1981
October 31, 1981
Highlights of two Football League matches, plus analysis and interviews. Also in tonight's programme the October Goal of the Month competition. Everton v Manchester City Leicester City v Sheffield Wednesday
7th November 1981
November 7, 1981
Introduced by Jimmy Hill. Bob Wilson gathers together the day's other news. Plus the result of the October Goal of the Month competition. Liverpool v Everton Stoke City v Southampton
14th November 1981
November 14, 1981
Highlights of two Football League matches, analysis and interviews. Watford v Cardiff City Middlesbrough v Sunderland
21st November 1981
November 21, 1981
Highlights of two Football League matches, analysis and interviews. Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United Birmingham City v Wolverhampton Wanderers
28th November 1981
November 28, 1981
Introduced by Jimmy Hill. Bob Wilson gathers together the day's other news including the late-night pools check. Also tonight, the November Goal of the Month competition. Aston Villa v Nottingham Forest Fulham v Millwall Halifax v Scunthorpe United
5th December 1981
December 5, 1981
Highlights of two Football League matches, analysis and interviews. Plus the result of the November Goal of the Month competition. West Ham United v Arsenal Everton v Swansea City
12th December 1981
December 12, 1981
Highlights of two Football League matches, plus analysis and interviews. Swansea City v Nottingham Forest Queens Park Rangers v Barnsley
19th December 1981
December 19, 1981
Jimmy Hill presents highlights of two Football League matches plus analysis and interviews. Everton v Aston Villa Chelsea v Blackburn Rovers
26th December 1981
December 26, 1981
Includes the Christmas Goal of the Month competition. Liverpool v Manchester City Portsmouth v Bristol Rovers
2nd January 1982: FA Cup Third Round
January 2, 1982
The most romantic football Saturday of the season, where the minnows from the Third and Fourth Divisions and outside the Football League meet the mighty teams from the First Division. Tonight action highlights of three games, interviews, analysis and comment. Plus the result of the December Goal of the Month competition. Leicester City v Southampton Barnet v Brighton & Hove Albion Swansea City v Liverpool
9th January 1982
January 9, 1982
Highlights of two Football League matches, plus analysis and interviews. Manchester City v Stoke City Huddersfield Town v Oxford United
16th January 1982
January 16, 1982
Highlights of two Football League matches, analysis and interviews. Bob Wilson reports on the World Cup draw from Madrid. Coventry City v Ipswich Town Liverpool v Wolverhampton Wanderers
23rd January 1982: FA Cup Fourth Round
January 23, 1982
Highlights of three outstanding ties, which encompass the glamour, the romance and the excitement of the FA Cup. Watford v West Ham United Tottenham Hotspur v Leeds United Manchester City v Coventry City
30th January 1982
January 30, 1982
Highlights of two Football League matches, analysis and interviews. Also in tonight's programme the January Goal of the Month competition. Luton Town v Leicester City Swansea City v Manchester United
6th February 1982
February 6, 1982
Highlights of three Football League matches plus analysis and interviews. Also in tonight's programme the result of the January Goal of the Month competition. Colchester United v Sheffield United Southampton v Manchester City Tottenham Hotspur v Wolverhampton Wanderers
13th February 1982: FA Cup Fifth Round
February 13, 1982
Featuring highlights from three matches in the Fifth Round of the FA Cup. Tottenham Hotspur v Aston Villa Leicester City v Watford West Bromwich Albion v Norwich City
20th February 1982
February 20, 1982
Watford v Luton Town Manchester United v Arsenal
27th February 1982
February 27, 1982
Highlights of two Football League matches, analysis and interviews. Brighton & Hove Albion v West Bromwich Albion Everton v West Ham United
6th March 1982: FA Cup Sixth Round
March 6, 1982
Highlights from two of this afternoon's games plus all the atmosphere and tension that surrounds the Cup. Plus the result of the February Goal of the Month competition. Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur Leicester City v Shrewsbury Town
13th March 1982
March 13, 1982
Highlights of two Football League matches, plus analysis and interviews. Oldham Athletic v Sheffield Wednesday Arsenal v Ipswich Town
20th March 1982
March 20, 1982
Highlights of two Football League matches, plus analysis and interviews. Tottenham Hotspur v Southampton Notts County v Manchester United
27th March 1982
March 27, 1982
Highlights of two Football League matches plus analysis and interviews. Also in tonight's programme the March Goal of the Month competition. Sheffield Wednesday v Leyton Orient Manchester United v Sunderland
3rd April 1982: FA Cup Semi-Final
April 3, 1982
Match of the Day cameras bring you the special excitement and tension that surrounds a Cup semi-final and an important First Division game. FAC SF: Queens Park Rangers v West Bromwich Albion Div 1: Sunderland v Middlesbrough
10th April 1982
April 10, 1982
Highlights of two Football League matches, plus analysis and interviews. Gillingham v Fulham Manchester City v Liverpool
17th April 1982
April 17, 1982
Highlights of two Football League matches, analysis and interviews. Swansea City v Manchester City Blackburn Rovers v Watford
24th April 1982
April 24, 1982
Rotherham United v Luton Town Brighton & Hove Albion v Manchester United
1st May 1982
May 1, 1982
Action highlights of two Football League matches affecting championship honours, promotion and relegation. Also tonight the result of the April Goal of the Month competition, and a selection of goals for the Goal of the Season competition. Ipswich Town v Middlesbrough Liverpool v Nottingham Forest
8th May 1982
May 8, 1982
Highlights of two Football League matches affecting championship honours, promotion and relegation. Birmingham City v Liverpool Watford v Leicester City
15th May 1982
May 15, 1982
As the season draws to an end, Jimmy Hill introduces highlights of two Football League games affecting promotion, relegation and entry into Europe next season. Also in tonight's programme, a chance to win £300 worth of Premium Bonds in the Goal of the Season competition. Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur Ipswich Town v Nottingham Forest
22nd May 1982: FA Cup Final: Queens Park Rangers v Tottenham Hotspur
May 22, 1982
Highlights of the 1982 FA Cup Final. Jimmy Hill presents the best action, analyses the key moments and talks to the players and manager of the victorious side.
27th May 1982: Home International Championship
May 27, 1982
Wales v Northern Ireland at the Racecourse Ground, Wrexham At one stage Wales looked the likeliest of all the British nations to qualify for the World Cup finals. The fact that they missed out has made Manager Mike England all the more determined that Wales do well in the British Championships. For his opposite number, Billy Bingham , the game provides the final chance to experiment before Northern Ireland's opening World Cup game against Yugoslavia on 17 June.
29th May 1982: Home International Championship
May 29, 1982
Featuring the 100th full international between Scotland and England, played this afternoon at Hampden Park, Glasgow. The score so far could hardly be closer - Scotland have won on 39 occasions, England 38 with the remaining 22 matches drawn.
