1981 English Greyhound Derby, Final result, Distances
½, 1, 1½, ¾, dis (lengths)The distances between the greyhounds are in finishing order and shown in lengths. One length is equal to 0.08 of one second.


1981 English Greyhound Derby, Competition Report
The Irish sent a strong team to defend the title that they had won the previous year which included the Ger McKenna trained Parkdown Jet and the John Haynes trained Rahan Ship (Irish Cesarewitch and Irish St Leger winner). Francie Murray also sent a team of eight headed by Hurry on Bran the 1980 runner-up who had switched kennels to Murray from Eric Pateman. The leading British entries were Juvenile champion Upland Tiger, Pall Mall Stakes winner Creamery Pat, Deel Joker and the Geoff DeMulder trio of North Rain, Heres Gay and Prince Spy.


1981 English Greyhound Derby, Competition Report
Before the Derby started a virus hit the Irish runners which affected the Francie Murray dogs owned by Eddie Costello. Precious Time trained by Jill Holt was the pick of the first round winners recording 29.20, just ahead of Rahan Ship 29.26 and Heres Gay 29.27. In the second round Rahan Ship was beaten by Hurry on Bran but both qualified despite the fact that the latter had suffered two dislocated toes during the race. Heres Gay and Upland Tiger both failed to progress any further.


1981 English Greyhound Derby, Competition Report
Hurry on Bran was being treated by vet Paddy Sweeney but failed to make the quarter finals and had to be withdrawn and was later retired to stud. The quarter-finals started with a win for Parkdown Jet whilst Precious Time crashed out. Hot favourites Clohast Flame and Rahan Ship took the next two heats before Greenane Metro won the last heat remaining unbeaten for trainer Arthur Hitch.


1981 English Greyhound Derby, Competition Report
The first semi-final resulted in Parkdown Jet setting a new track record time of 29.09, Barley Field and In Flight finished five lengths behind with Greenane Metro failing to progress. The second semi went the way of Rahan Ship from Clohast Flame; Prince Spy ran on to beat early leader Deel Joker for the final qualifying place.


1981 English Greyhound Derby, Competition Report
The final saw a first bend melee resulting in Barley Field falling and Rahan Ship jumping over him as he fell. Clohast Flame and In Flight were hampered as well which left Parkdown Jet clear followed by Prince Spy. Parkdown Jet having just his ninth race for owners Mick and Sean Barnett held off Prince Spy to win with Rahan Ship making significant ground on the pair coming home an unlucky third.


1981 English National Badminton Championships
The 1981 English National Badminton Championships were held in Coventry, from 11-13 December, 1980.


1981 English Professional Championship
The 1981 John Courage English Professional Championship was a professional non-ranking snooker tournament, which took place in March 1981 in Birmingham, England.


1981 English Professional Championship
Steve Davis won the title by defeating Tony Meo 9–3 in the final.


1981 English cricket season
The 1981 English cricket season was the 82nd in which the County Championship had been an official competition. A change of sponsorship ended the Gillette Cup and the knockout competition became the NatWest Trophy, which lasted for twenty years. Australia toured England to compete for the Ashes and England won the series 3-1. Nottinghamshire won a close struggle for the County Championship title, defeating Sussex by two points.


1981 English cricket season, Sri Lankan tour
The second tour of England by the Sri Lankan team took place in 1981. Sri Lanka had not yet achieved Test status. The team played 13 first-class matches and 11 of these were drawn. In their other two games, the Sri Lankans won one and lost one.


1981 Entumbane uprising
The 1981 Entumbane uprising, also known as the Battle of Bulawayo or Entumbane II, occurred between 8 and 12 February 1981 in and around Bulawayo, Zimbabwe amid political tensions in the newly independent state. Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) guerrillas, mainly in the city's western suburb of Entumbane, rebelled, creating a situation that threatened to develop into a fresh civil war, barely a year after the end of the Bush War.


1981 Entumbane uprising
The Rhodesian African Rifles (RAR) and other white-commanded elements of the former Rhodesian Security Forces, fighting for the Zimbabwean government as part of the new Zimbabwe National Army, put down the uprising. Groups of Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA) fighters attacked both ZIPRA and the government forces during the revolt, which followed a smaller outbreak of fighting between guerrillas in November 1980.


1981 Entumbane uprising
The uprising began in earnest around 20:00 local time (CAT) on 11 February when fighting broke out between the two guerrilla factions in Entumbane, each of which also attacked the local RAR headquarters. When ZIPRA armoured personnel carriers moved on Bulawayo from Essexvale, to the south-east, four armoured cars from the former Rhodesian Armoured Corps, supported by A Company, 1RAR, engaged and defeated them. Meanwhile, C and D Companies, 1RAR were pocketed by numerically superior groups of ZIPRA fighters. By the evening of 12 February, the uprising was over; C and D Companies were relieved, ZIPRA ceased their attacks and their armoured battle group at Essexvale surrendered to the National Army.


1981 Entumbane uprising
The official count of those killed during the uprising was 260 people; historians place the number of dead higher. The Zimbabwe National Army suffered no fatal casualties. Binda calls the battle the RAR's greatest victory, writing that the troops were greatly outnumbered, but won through superior professionalism and discipline. Several analysts comment on the irony that Mugabe and ZANU–PF were saved from a major rebellion by white-led ex-Rhodesian troops. The battle was the RAR's last; its personnel were reassigned to other units when it was disbanded later in 1981. The rebellion's defeat, meanwhile, prompted mass desertions by ZIPRA guerrillas fearing retribution from the Mugabe administration. Indeed, the uprising partially fuelled Mugabe's bloody Gukurahundi campaign against Matabeleland later in the 1980s.


1981 Entumbane uprising, Background, Chimurenga/Umvukela
Following the Unilateral Declaration of Independence by the mostly white minority government of Rhodesia (or Southern Rhodesia) from the United Kingdom in 1965, the southern African country entered a period of international isolation as an unrecognised state under Ian Smith.


1981 Entumbane uprising, Background, Chimurenga/Umvukela
Black nationalist movements, backed by communist powers and themselves variously Marxist–Leninist, launched military campaigns to overthrow Rhodesia's Government and bring majority rule to the country; the main nationalist groups were the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU), which was Chinese-backed, mostly Shona and influenced by Maoism, and the rival Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU), which was largely Ndebele, more orthodoxly Marxist–Leninist and supported by the Warsaw Pact and associated nations, prominently Cuba. Each nationalist group fielded a guerrilla army—ZANU's was called the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA), while ZAPU's was the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA). ZAPU was led by Joshua Nkomo, a trade unionist from Bulawayo in Matabeleland, while ZANU was headed from 1975 by a former teacher from Mashonaland, Robert Mugabe after the assassination of H Chitepo.


1981 Entumbane uprising, Background, Chimurenga/Umvukela
The black nationalist campaigns, referred to by the revolutionaries as the Second Umvukela /Chimurenga (liberation war), began in earnest in December 1972. During the ensuing Bush War, ZANLA and ZIPRA fought the Rhodesian Security Forces, and also regularly clashed with each other, despite their parent organisations being superficially allied from 1976 as the Patriotic Front. The war ended in December 1979 with the Lancaster House Agreement in London, following which Britain took interim direct control of the country to oversee fresh elections during early 1980. These were won by ZANU, which added "Patriotic Front" to its name (thereby becoming "ZANU–PF"), and Mugabe became the first Prime Minister of Zimbabwe when the UK granted independence in April 1980. Nkomo was made Minister of Home Affairs in the new Government.


1981 Entumbane uprising, Background, Post-independence tensions
With the transfer of political power, the Rhodesian Army, ZANLA and ZIPRA began to be merged to form the new Zimbabwe National Army. ZANLA and ZIPRA personnel were mixed into new battalions, guerrillas were picked out for officer training, and old Rhodesian units were variously disbanded or earmarked for reform. In some cases the latter meant only a change of symbolism and nomenclature; the Rhodesian Air Force, for example, remained almost all white as the Air Force of Zimbabwe. Every one of the approximately 34,000 guerrillas was promised a place in the new army. In the meantime they would wait in respective ZANLA and ZIPRA assembly camps around the country with pay and rations identical to those of black privates in the old Rhodesian forces.


1981 Entumbane uprising, Background, Post-independence tensions
Though the Chimurenga was over, tensions between ZANLA and ZIPRA cadres, officially referred to in the war's aftermath as "associated forces", endured, particularly in Matabeleland. These rifts were partially tribal-based, but largely political; ZIPRA fighters complained that their counterparts from ZANLA seemed to be favoured for promotions and supplies, while ZANLA suspected ZIPRA of plotting insurrection. ZANU–PF politicians began to call for a one-party state, saying that this would make Zimbabwe stronger. As the process of military integration dragged on, groups of fighters from both forces deserted and roamed the countryside, robbing stores and killing white farmers.


1981 Entumbane uprising, Background, Post-independence tensions
Sources differ regarding how much of this was perpetrated by ZANLA personnel and how much by ZIPRA men; each side blamed the other. Mugabe accused ZIPRA elements of "refusing to recognise the sovereignty of the Government", but stopped short of attacking the ZAPU leadership. With the new army's ex-guerrilla battalions still far from ready, the Zimbabwean Government leaned heavily on former Rhodesian units under white command to maintain law and order during this period. Feeling he needed to secure ZANU–PF's position, Mugabe signed a secret deal with North Korea in October 1980 whereby the Asian country would provide instructors and equipment for an elite brigade that would handle political dissidents and report directly to the Prime Minister.


1981 Entumbane uprising, Background, Post-independence tensions
After the Minister of Finance Enos Nkala railed against Nkomo and ZAPU at a Bulawayo political rally in November 1980, saying they had "become the enemy of ZANU–PF" and should be challenged by "vigilante committees", ZANLA and ZIPRA veterans clashed near the city's western township of Entumbane for two days. Hundreds were killed or wounded before the Prime Minister sent ex-Rhodesian units to intervene. This incident deepened the feeling of distrust and unease that permeated the country and the National Army's integrated battalions. Concerned by ZAPU's apparent political marginalisation, ZIPRA commanders in Matabeleland built up their forces.


1981 Entumbane uprising, Background, Post-independence tensions
Over 6,000 ZIPRA troops assembled at Gwaai River Mine, to the north-west of Bulawayo, with Soviet-made T-34 tanks, BTR-152 armoured personnel carriers (APCs) and anti-aircraft guns; another ZIPRA base at Essexvale, to the south-east, formed an armoured battle group including 10 T-34s. Tensions escalated further when Mugabe removed Nkomo from Home Affairs on 10 January 1981 and made him a minister without portfolio instead, in what many in Zimbabwe saw as a demotion. According to Brigadier Mike Shute, then head of the Zimbabwe National Army's 1 Brigade, groups of ZANLA and ZIPRA guerrillas, theoretically under his command, were soon "all over the place and having continual clashes and minor battles with each other". Many became convinced that a second civil war was imminent.


1981 Entumbane uprising, Prelude
The Zimbabwe National Army's only regular infantry unit in the Bulawayo area during the first months of 1981 was the 1st Battalion of the Rhodesian African Rifles (RAR), a regiment of mostly white-officered black troops led by Lieutenant-Colonel Mick McKenna and based at Methuen Barracks on the outskirts of Bulawayo. This had been officially redesignated the 11th Infantry Battalion of the new National Army, but few reforms had taken place so far and in practice the regiment remained almost entirely as before, right down to the old Rhodesian uniforms and insignia. At the end of January 1981, McKenna had about 500 men (including officers), and a troop of four Eland 90 armoured cars, formerly of the Rhodesian Armoured Corps, under Sergeant Stephen "Skippy" Devine, an Australian veteran of the Rhodesian Light Infantry.


1981 Entumbane uprising, Prelude
Amid the rising tensions in Zimbabwe, Shute and McKenna identified Entumbane, the township on the western outskirts of Bulawayo where the November 1980 clashes had started, as a likely flashpoint. There ZANLA and ZIPRA had camps directly next to each other, each with about 1,500 guerrillas. In late January 1981, McKenna set up an operational headquarters in a beer hall overlooking the two guerrilla camps; this building, surrounded by six-foot walls, was dubbed "the Alamo" at the suggestion of Lieutenant F W "Chomps" Fleetwood, an American officer in A Company, 1RAR. Worried that a new Entumbane clash would prompt the ZIPRA forces at Gwaai River Mine and Essexvale to join the fray, McKenna set up a string of observation posts on each of the roads leading towards Bulawayo.


1981 Entumbane uprising, Prelude
On 8 February, ZANLA cadres at Connemara Barracks in Gwelo surprised their ZIPRA counterparts, killed over 60 of them and forced the rest to flee into the bush. When the ZIPRA portion of the 13th Infantry Battalion, based at Glenville Camp near Entumbane, learned of this later in the day, it waited until its instructors from the British Army left in the evening, then attacked its ZANLA comrades, killing 12 of them and scattering the rest. Charged with restoring order, McKenna sent Devine's armoured cars and D Company, 1RAR, commanded by the American Lieutenant Dave Hill, to Glenville.


1981 Entumbane uprising, Prelude
Arriving late in the evening, the Elands drove into the camp and flattened the ZIPRA tents, killing many of the occupants and clearing the way for Hill's troops. Taken totally by surprise, the ZIPRA troops put up little resistance; 40 were killed and many more captured, including two officers, Captains Mpofu and Dlamini. On the morning of 9 February, the British instructors were bewildered to find the ZANLA half of their unit gone, and the remaining ZIPRA men squatting in rows in 1RAR captivity. "What happened?" asked the British sergeant. "I am afraid that while you were away, your battalion fell apart," replied McKenna.


1981 Entumbane uprising, Prelude
ZIPRA personnel in Bulawayo used civilian vehicles to smuggle weapons and equipment, including mortars, into their Entumbane camp over the next few days. C Company, 1RAR, comprising 96 men under Major Lionel Dyck (including a detachment from Support Company) and eight armoured vehicles, noticed this while they were garrisoning the Alamo on 11 February. The major reported to Brigade headquarters that the number of ZIPRA troops at Entumbane appeared to have swelled considerably, and that the chain link fence surrounding the camp had been taken down. Superiors ordered him not to intervene. Anticipating an imminent attack, Dyck used a silenced rifle to shoot out the floodlights surrounding the Alamo, lined up his vehicles against the surrounding walls so his men could stand on them while defending, and ranged mortars on a variety of targets in the ZIPRA complex.


1981 Entumbane uprising, Uprising
Soon after fighting broke out between ZANLA and ZIPRA members of a recently integrated Zimbabwe National Army battalion at Ntabazinduna, just north-east of Bulawayo, the two guerrilla camps at Entumbane began exchanging rifle, machine gun and mortar fire at about 20:00 (CAT) on 11 February. Dyck, at the Alamo, reported that both sides were also attacking his position. He radioed Brigade HQ for instructions and was told to pull out; he replied that this was impossible as he was surrounded. At Shute's orders, McKenna mobilised the rest of the battalion at an airfield near Brady Barracks within an hour.


1981 Entumbane uprising, Uprising
Meanwhile, a detachment of ZIPRA armoured vehicles left Essexvale for Bulawayo, and was spotted on the road by one of McKenna's observation posts. Devine was sent with his Elands to intercept them, supported by 12 1RAR men under Major Tony Husher. At an intersection on the outskirts of the city, Devine encountered a ZIPRA BTR-152 APC and impacted it with a single high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) round, killing all 20 combatants inside. McKenna then told Devine to advance to the city limits, where he and Husher set up an ambush on the road. Husher's men shot out all nearby overhead street lights, and some of them went to scout ahead; Devine positioned two of his Elands on each of the two lanes of the road under cover of darkness.


1981 Entumbane uprising, Uprising
Meanwhile, at Entumbane, the ZIPRA fighters overran the ZANLA camp, killing many and forcing the rest to flee. Sporadic fighting between ZANLA and ZIPRA guerrillas spread into Bulawayo itself, continuing through the night and into the morning. About 700 ZIPRA combatants continued to attack C Company's position at the Alamo, putting it under constant machine gun and mortar fire. Pocketed, Dyck responded in kind.


1981 Entumbane uprising, Uprising
About 02:00 (CAT) on 12 February, a ZIPRA guerrilla with an RPD machine gun took up a position in a house to the Alamo's south-east and "became a nuisance", as the major put it; he and Sergeant Vini Hlatshwayo went out with an RPG-7 rocket launcher and fired at the corner of the house, bringing it down on the gunner and killing him.


1981 Entumbane uprising, Uprising
On the road, two ZIPRA BTR-152s from Essexvale advanced towards Bulawayo, firing indiscriminately in all directions, and were spotted by Devine around 01:30 (CAT). The Elands waited in the darkness until the ZIPRA vehicles were about 200 metres (660 ft) away, then fired. Both APCs were directly hit and most of the men inside killed; the survivors ran off into the night. Fleetwood then arrived at the head of a 1RAR platoon to support Devine and Husher.


1981 Entumbane uprising, Uprising
Around the same time, men of A Company, 1RAR captured a ZIPRA commander who was trying to enter Bulawayo through a back road in a Peugeot station wagon, and 3 Platoon, A Company captured six ZIPRA officers driving into town on the Essexvale Road in a Toyota Land Cruiser. McKenna ordered Hill and D Company to help Dyck by taking up a position between the city and Entumbane. A group of ZIPRA unsuccessfully attacked D Company as it moved west to high ground at Lurkers' Ridge, just south-east of the Alamo. B Company, meanwhile, took up positions on the railway line just north-east of Lurkers' Ridge. McKenna told Dyck over the radio that reinforcements would come and to "hang in there".


1981 Entumbane uprising, Uprising
By about 05:00 (CAT), Dyck's ammunition supplies were running low, and the ZIPRA attackers had hit the Alamo a number of times with RPG fire. Nobody inside was killed by these rockets, but when Dyck's dog was wounded, the major flew into a rage and ordered his men to pour more aggressive machine gun fire on the advancing ZIPRA combatants. He requested air support from Brigade HQ in the form of a Lynx light bomber.


1981 Entumbane uprising, Uprising
The air force turned down the request, but Flight Lieutenant Colin James took off anyway in his Lynx armed with an FN MAG machine gun and SNEB rockets. The ZIPRA cadres concentrated a huge amount of fire on James' aircraft, and hit it several times, but failed to shoot it down; the pilot put in a number of ground attacks before returning to base. He reported afterwards that a bullet had entered through the floor of his cockpit and hit his helmet. The 1RAR officers and men expressed great admiration for James's bravery during this air strike, but his air force superiors were furious that he had gone into the operational area against orders.


1981 Entumbane uprising, Uprising
A National Army relief column including the detachments under Husher, Fleetwood and Devine assembled at Lurkers' Ridge during the morning of 12 February. Under the command of Captain Tony Clark, it flanked through the townships south of the Alamo, engaging ZIPRA guerrillas along the way, then turned north to relieve Dyck. The Elands led the way, with Devine himself standing upright in the turret of one of them with a machine gun. At one point this was shot out of his hands, prompting him to briefly stop the advance so he could jump down into the street to collect it.


1981 Entumbane uprising, Uprising
By the time the relief column reached the Alamo at 13:00 (CAT), C Company had been pocketed for 16 hours. Four wounded 1RAR soldiers were evacuated, and Dyck left the building to point out targets for Devine's armoured cars. During the afternoon, A Company relieved D Company at Lurker's Ridge, and the ZANLA and ZIPRA guerrillas withdrew into the townships and the surrounding country, sporadically exchanging fire. Devine was sent to Essexvale to engage the rest of ZIPRA's armoured battle group, which surrendered when he arrived; the T-34 tanks were later found by the Zimbabwe National Army to be nonfunctional. By the evening of 12 February, the rebellion was over.


1981 Entumbane uprising, Aftermath
Hundreds of people died in the uprising. The official count released at the time was 260, but historians place the number higher; Martin Meredith records "more than 300" dead, while Alexandre Binda writes that the Zimbabwe National Army units alone killed over 400 guerrillas. The Zimbabwe National Army reported no fatal casualties. Hill and Husher were each awarded the Bronze Cross of Zimbabwe for their part in putting down the rebellion, while Dyck received the Silver Cross.


1981 Entumbane uprising, Aftermath
In his history of the Rhodesian African Rifles, Binda describes Entumbane as the regiment's greatest victory, commenting that it was won "by dint of professionalism, discipline and determination" in the face of forces that were far larger numerically. Major Michael P Stewart of the United States Army writes that 1RAR's actions at Entumbane "saved Mugabe's Government from certain civil war", and provided the "final blow to the military might of ZIPRA".


1981 Entumbane uprising, Aftermath
A number of analysts comment on the irony that Mugabe and ZANU–PF, who had spent years fighting white rule and the Rhodesian forces during the 1970s, were secured in power barely a year after the Bush War's end by ex-Rhodesian troops under white command. Binda furthermore highlights the irony that the RAR's finest hour (in his view) came while fighting for Mugabe.


1981 Entumbane uprising, Aftermath
Mugabe said that undisciplined ZIPRA guerrillas had instigated the uprising; he called them "disloyal, misguided and politically motivated armed hooligans and political malcontents" and said that according to information before him their ultimate goal had been to topple his government. He told parliament that there had been a "definite organised pattern" amid the ZIPRA groups that had rebelled. Local ZIPRA commanders claimed ZANLA had started the fighting, while Nkomo and the mayor of Bulawayo blamed Nkala's inflammatory speech and similar statements from other ZANU–PF politicians.


1981 Entumbane uprising, Aftermath
A month after the uprising, ZANU–PF set up a commission tasked with investigating the "mutinous disturbances" at Entumbane and in the integrated battalions at Ntabazinduna, Glenville and Connemara. This body reported to Mugabe in June 1981, but its findings have never been made public. According to the historian Norma Kriger, it blamed both ZANU–PF and ZAPU and therefore "fell short of Government expectations".


1981 Entumbane uprising, Aftermath
Abiodun Alao of King's College London marks the Entumbane episode as the start of the Zimbabwe National Army's politicisation. The ex-Rhodesians' enthusiasm and success during the battle, coupled with Mugabe's readiness to deploy them, convinced many in ZAPU that ZANU–PF and the white community had united against them, and intensified ZAPU opposition to the government. ZIPRA guerrillas deserted from the assembly points and the National Army en masse following the rebellion's failure, fearing for their safety.


1981 Entumbane uprising, Aftermath
Mugabe's sense of resolve regarding his political rivals was greatly strengthened, meanwhile; Entumbane satisfied him that white army officers and airmen could be counted on in future conflicts with ZAPU. The Entumbane engagement was the RAR's last—its companies were allocated to other 1 Brigade units later in 1981 during the military reform process—but a number of its white officers subsequently led units of the Zimbabwean special forces during the 1980s. Dyck, for example, headed the 1st Parachute Battalion.


1981 Entumbane uprising, Aftermath
The Mugabe administration promptly decided to reduce the future army's size by about 30,000 and to disarm and demobilise all ZANLA and ZIPRA personnel who had not yet been integrated, thereby breaking the promise of a place in the army for every guerrilla. After ZIPRA commander Dumiso Dabengwa refused to give the disarming order at Entumbane, Nkomo oversaw a parade of the camp and gave the command to disarm himself, doing so "for the sake of peace", in Kriger's words, despite his own opposition to the idea.


1981 Entumbane uprising, Aftermath
Mugabe publicly announced his deal with North Korea in August 1981, and 106 North Korean instructors arrived the same month. Nkomo accused the Prime Minister of creating "a special partisan army divorced from the national army" for the "possible imposition of a one-party state". In February 1982, Mugabe announced that huge arms caches had been discovered on ZAPU-owned properties and that this was evidence of a planned ZAPU coup. He likened Nkomo's presence in the government to "a cobra in the house" and promptly fired him, concurrently arresting ZIPRA leaders and seizing ZAPU property.


1981 Entumbane uprising, Aftermath
The new North Korean-trained unit, dubbed 5 Brigade, passed out in December 1982, and was deployed by Mugabe to Matabeleland, where it remained for the next five years. In what became known as Gukurahundi, it perpetrated a number of brutal massacres and atrocities against civilians in Matabeleland accused of supporting "dissidents", far exceeding anything that had occurred during the Bush War. Estimates for the number of deaths range from 10,000 to 30,000. The campaign officially ended in December 1987 when Mugabe and Nkomo signed a unity accord merging ZAPU into ZANU–PF with the stated goal of a one-party state.


1981 Epsom Derby
The 1981 Epsom Derby was the 202nd annual running of the Derby horse race. It took place at Epsom Downs Racecourse on 3 June 1981.


1981 Epsom Derby
The race was won by the Aga Khan's Shergar, at odds of 10/11 ridden by the nineteen-year-old jockey Walter Swinburn and trained at Newmarket, Suffolk by Michael Stoute. The winning margin of ten lengths was the largest in the history of the race. However, the winning time of 2:44.21 was the slowest since 1946.


1981 Epsom Derby, Full result
1 Lydian was scratched at the start after refusing to enter the stalls.


1981 Epsom Derby, Form analysis, Two-year-old races
Notable runs by the future Derby participants as two-year-olds in 1980:


1981 Epsom Derby, Form analysis, The road to Epsom
Early-season appearances in 1981 and trial races prior to running in the Derby:


1981 Epsom Derby, Form analysis, Subsequent Group 1 wins
Group 1 / Grade I victories after running in the Derby.


1981 Epsom Derby, Subsequent breeding careers, Other stallions
Kind Of Hush (16th) – Itsabrahma (2nd Prix de la Forêt 1991), Osario (3rd Prix de la Forêt 1991)Silver Season (7th) – Great grandsire of 2007 Lancashire Oaks winner Turbo LinnChurch Parade (5th) – Exported to New Zealand, produced 1988 New Zealand 2000 Guineas runner up TestamentScintillating Air (3rd) – Exported to India


1981 Estonian SSR Football Championship
The 1981 Estonian SSR Football Championship was won by Tallinna Dünamo.


1981 EuroHockey Club Champions Cup
The 1981 EuroHockey Club Champions Cup, taking place in Brussels, was the eighth edition of Europe's premier field hockey club competition. It was the first edition were two divisions were established. Otherwise, the competition format established in 1977 was preserved.


1981 EuroHockey Club Champions Cup
It was won by HC Klein Zwitserland in a final match against SKA Sverdlovsk, which was the revelation of the competition considering Soviet hockey, represented by Dynamo Almaty, had failed to rank among the top 8 clubs in previous editions. It was the Dutch club's 2nd European Champions Cup trophy. Barcelona's Real Club de Polo attained the 3rd place by defeating defending champions Slough HC.


1981 European Amateur Boxing Championships
The Men's 1981 European Amateur Boxing Championships were held in Tampere, Finland from May 2 to May 10, 1981. The 24th edition of the bi-annual competition was organised by the European governing body for amateur boxing, EABA. 171 fighters from 22 European countries participated in the competition.


1981 European Amateur Team Championship
The 1981 European Amateur Team Championship took place 24 – 28 June at the Old Course at St Andrews, Scotland. It was the 12th men's golf European Amateur Team Championship.


1981 European Amateur Team Championship
Each team consisted of five or six players, playing two rounds of stroke-play over two days, counting the five best scores each day for each team.


1981 European Amateur Team Championship
Team France won the opening 36-hole stroke-play qualifying competition, despite playing with only five players and having to count all five scores, because of an arm injury to team member Roger Lagarde, who could not play.


1981 European Amateur Team Championship
There was no official award for the lowest individual score, but individual leader was François Illouz, France, with a score of 2-under-par 142, one stroke ahead of Philip Walton, Ireland.


1981 European Amateur Team Championship
The eight best teams formed flight A, in knock-out match-play over the next three days. The teams were seeded based on their positions after the stroke play. The first placed team were drawn to play the quarter final against the eight placed team, the second against the seventh, the third against the sixth and the fourth against the fifth. Teams were allowed to use six players during the team matches, selecting four of them in the two morning foursome games and five players in to the afternoon single games. Games all square at the 18th hole were declared halved, if the team match was already decided.


1981 European Amateur Team Championship
The eight teams placed 9–16 in the qualification stroke-play formed flight B, to play similar knock-out play, and the three teams placed 17–19 formed flight C, to play all against each other, to decide their final positions.


1981 European Amateur Team Championship
Defending champions team England won the gold medal, earning their sixth title, beating host country Scotland in the final 4–3. The last and deciding game, between Peter Deeble, England, and Ian Hutcheon, Scotland, went on to the 20th hole, in beginning darkness. Hutcheon had made a necessary birdie on the 18th to tie the match and holed a chip shot on the first extra hole to survive after hitting in the Swilcan Burn, but Deeble won the 20th hole and the championship for England.


1981 European Amateur Team Championship
Team Wales earned the bronze on third place, after beating France 4–3 in the bronze match.


1981 European Amateur Team Championship, Teams
19 nation teams contested the event. Each team consisted of five or six players.


1981 European Amateur Team Championship, Results
Note: There was no official award for the lowest individual scores.


1981 European Aquatics Championships
The 1981 European Aquatics Championships were held in an indoor pool (50 m) in Split, Yugoslavia from 5 September to 12 September 1981. Besides swimming there were titles contested in diving, synchronized swimming (women) and water polo (men).


1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships
The 12th European Athletics Indoor Championships were held in Grenoble, a city in France, between 21–22 February 1981. It was the second time the championships were held in the city. The track used for the championships was 180 metres long.


1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships, Medal summary, Men
1 The race was stopped one lap short (at 2820m) due to an official's error.


1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's 1500 metres
The men's 1500 metres event  at the 1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 22 February.


1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's 3000 metres
The men's 3000 metres event  at the 1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 22 February. The race was stopped one lap short, so the actual distance run was 2820 metres.


1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's 400 metres
The men's 400 metres event  at the 1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 21 and 22 February.


1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's 400 metres, Results, Heats
First 2 from each heat (Q) qualified directly for the semifinals.


1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's 400 metres, Results, Semifinals
First 2 from each semifinal qualified directly (Q) for the final.


1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's 50 metres
The men's 50 metres event  at the 1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 21 February.


1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's 50 metres, Results, Heats
First 3 from each heat (Q) and the next 3 fastest (q) qualified for the semifinals.


1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's 50 metres, Results, Semifinals
First 3 from each semifinal qualified directly (Q) for the final.


1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's 50 metres hurdles
The men's 50 metres hurdles event  at the 1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 22 February.


1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's 50 metres hurdles, Results, Heats
First 3 from each heat (Q) and the next 3 fastest (q) qualified for the semifinals.


1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's 50 metres hurdles, Results, Semifinals
First 3 from each semifinal qualified directly (Q) for the final.


1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's 5000 metres walk
The men's 5000 metres walk event  at the 1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 22 February. It was the first time that race walking was contested at the championships.


1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's 800 metres
The men's 800 metres event  at the 1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 21 and 22 February.


1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's 800 metres, Results, Heats
First 2 from each heat (Q) and the next 2 fastest (q) qualified for the semifinals.


1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's high jump
The men's high jump event  at the 1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 21 February.


1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's long jump
The men's long jump event  at the 1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 22 February.


1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's pole vault
The men's pole vault event  at the 1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 22 February.


1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's shot put
The men's shot put event  at the 1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 22 February.


1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's triple jump
The men's triple jump event  at the 1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 21 February.


1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's 1500 metres
The women's 1500 metres event  at the 1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 22 February.


1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's 400 metres
The women's 400 metres event  at the 1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 21 and 22 February.


1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's 400 metres, Results, Heats
First 2 from each heat (Q) and the net 2 fastest (q) qualified for the semifinals.


1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's 400 metres, Results, Semifinals
First 3 from each semifinal qualified directly (Q) for the final.


1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's 50 metres
The women's 50 metres event  at the 1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 22 February.


1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's 50 metres, Results, Heats
First 2 from each heat (Q) and the next 4 fastest (q) qualified for the semifinals.


1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's 50 metres, Results, Semifinals
First 3 from each semifinal qualified directly (Q) for the final.


1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's 50 metres hurdles
The women's 50 metres hurdles event  at the 1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 21 February.


1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's 50 metres hurdles, Results, Heats
First 3 from each heat (Q) and the next 3 fastest (q) qualified for the semifinals.


1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's 50 metres hurdles, Results, Semifinals
First 3 from each semifinal qualified directly (Q) for the final.


1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's 800 metres
The women's 800 metres event  at the 1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 21 and 22 February.


1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's 800 metres, Results, Heats
First 2 from each heat (Q) and the next 2 fastest (q) qualified for the semifinals.


1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's high jump
The women's high jump event  at the 1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 21 February.


1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's long jump
The women's long jump event  at the 1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 22 February.


1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's shot put
The women's shot put event  at the 1981 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 21 February.


1981 European Athletics Junior Championships
The 1981 European Athletics Junior Championships was the sixth edition of the biennial athletics competition for European athletes aged under twenty. It was held in Utrecht, Netherlands between 20 and 23 August.


1981 European Baseball Championship
The 1981 European Baseball Championship was held in the Netherlands and was won by the Netherlands. Italy finished as runner-up.


1981 European Cup (athletics)
The 1981 European Cup was the 8th edition of the European Cup of athletics.


1981 European Cup Final
The 1981 European Cup Final was an association football match between Liverpool of England and Real Madrid of Spain on 27 May 1981 at the Parc des Princes, Paris, France. It was the final match of the 1980–81 season of Europe's premier cup competition, the European Cup. Liverpool were appearing in their third final, after two appearances in 1977 and 1978. Real Madrid were appearing in their ninth final, they had previously won the competition six times and lost twice.


1981 European Cup Final
Each club needed to progress through four rounds to reach the final. Matches were contested over two legs, with a match at each team's home ground. All but one of Liverpool's ties were comfortable victories, they beat Bayern Munich on the away goals rule, while they won all their other ties by at least five goals. Real Madrid's matches ranged from close affairs to comfortable victories. In the first round they beat Limerick 7–2 on aggregate, but their final two ties were won by at least two goals.


1981 European Cup Final
Watched by a crowd of 48,360, the first half was goalless. Liverpool took the lead in the second half when Alan Kennedy scored. They held this lead to win the match 1–0, securing Liverpool's third European Cup and a fifth consecutive victory by an English team. Liverpool manager Bob Paisley became the first manager to win the competition three times.


1981 European Cup Final
The two teams would meet again in the 2018 UEFA Champions League Final.


1981 European Cup Final, Route to the final, Liverpool
Liverpool gained entry to the competition by winning the 1979–80 Football League First Division, entering as English champions. Their opponents in the first round were Finnish champions Oulun Palloseura. The first leg in Finland at the Raatti Stadion was drawn 1–1. The second leg at Liverpool's home ground Anfield resulted in a comprehensive 10–1 victory for Liverpool. Two of their players, Graeme Souness and Terry McDermott, scored a hat-trick. Liverpool won the tie 11–2 on aggregate.


1981 European Cup Final, Route to the final, Liverpool
In the second round, Liverpool were drawn against Scottish champions Aberdeen, managed by Alex Ferguson. The first leg was at Aberdeen's home ground, Pittodrie, a McDermott goal in the fifth minute ensured a 1–0 victory for Liverpool. The second leg at Anfield was won 4–0 by Liverpool, thus they won the tie 5–0 on aggregate. Liverpool's opponents in the quarter-finals were Bulgarian champions CSKA Sofia. The first leg was held in England, another hat-trick from Souness and goals from McDermott and Sammy Lee gave Liverpool a 5–1 victory. They won the second leg at the Vasil Levski National Stadium 1–0 to progress to the semi-finals courtesy of a 6–1 aggregate victory.


1981 European Cup Final, Route to the final, Liverpool
They faced German champions Bayern Munich in the semi-finals. The first leg in England ended in a 0–0 draw. Liverpool needed to score in the second leg to advance to the final. Their cause was not helped when striker Kenny Dalglish had to be replaced in the early minutes of the match by the inexperienced Howard Gayle. However, Gayle rose to the occasion, unsettling the Bayern defence with his attacking threat. With seven minutes of normal time left, Ray Kennedy scored to give Liverpool a 1–0 lead. Bayern responded soon afterwards when Karl-Heinz Rummenigge scored, however, they needed to score another goal due to the away goals rule. They were unable to do so and Liverpool progressed to their third final in five seasons.


1981 European Cup Final, Route to the final, Real Madrid
Real Madrid gained entry to the competition as Spanish champions, after they won the 1979–80 La Liga. Their opponents in the first round were Irish champions Limerick. Limerick took the lead in the first leg at Lansdowne Road, but Real scored twice to win the first leg 2–1. The second leg at Real's home ground, the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, ended in a 5–1 victory for Real, they won the tie 7–2 on aggregate.


1981 European Cup Final, Route to the final, Real Madrid
Their opponents in the second round were Hungarian champions Honvéd. A goal from Santillana ensured Real won the first leg 1–0 in Spain. Two goals from Laurie Cunningham and Francisco García Hernández secured a 2–0 victory in the second leg at Honvéd's home ground the Bozsik József Stadion, thus, winning the tie 3–0 on aggregate.


1981 European Cup Final, Route to the final, Real Madrid
In the quarter-finals, Real faced Soviet champions Spartak Moscow. A 0–0 at the Dynamo Lenin Stadium in the Soviet Union left the tie finely balanced heading into the second leg in Spain. Two goals from Isidro in the second half secured a 2–0 victory in the match and over aggregate.


1981 European Cup Final, Route to the final, Real Madrid
Real's opponents in the semi-finals were Italian champions Internazionale. Real won the first leg 2–0 in Spain after goals from Santillana and Juanito. Internazionale needed to score twice to force the tie into extra-time, however they were only able to score once. They won the second leg 1–0, but Real won the tie 2–1 on aggregate to progress to their ninth final.


1981 European Cup Final, Match, Background
Liverpool were appearing in their third European Cup Final. They had won their two previous appearances in 1977 and 1978. Real Madrid were appearing in their ninth final, they had won the competition six times, including a record five successive victories from 1956 to 1960. Their sixth victory was in 1966, while their two losses were in 1962 and 1964.


1981 European Cup Final, Match, Background
Liverpool had finished fifth during the 1980–81 Football League First Division, thus they needed to win the final to ensure that they would compete in the European Cup the following season. Despite this, Liverpool had won the Football League Cup for the first time earlier in the season, defeating West Ham United 2–1 in a replay after the final finished 1–1. Real Madrid had finished second in the 1980–81 La Liga, they had qualified for the UEFA Cup as a result, but victory would enable them to compete in the European Cup the following season.


1981 European Cup Final, Match, Background
Both sides had injury concerns before the match. Liverpool had doubts over a number of players. Kenny Dalglish had not trained for several weeks, while Alan Kennedy had been sidelined for six weeks with a broken wrist. Real had concerns over striker Laurie Cunningham who had been sidelined since November.


1981 European Cup Final, Match, Summary
Liverpool controlled the opening passages of the game. Their first goalscoring chance came in the 11th minute when Alan Kennedy's 30-yard shot was saved by Real goalkeeper Agustín. Further chances were created, but neither Terry McDermott or Dalglish were able to score. Real started to exert more of an influence after this, midfielder Juanito started to cause Liverpool problems with his passing. One pass found José Antonio Camacho who beat Liverpool defender Alan Hansen but put his shot wide of the Liverpool goal. Despite their scoring opportunity, one problem Real had was to get the best out of their winger Cunningham. Not fully fit, he was tightly marked and made little impact in the match.


1981 European Cup Final, Match, Summary
Liverpool had a chance to take the lead before half-time. Phil Neal advanced down the right hand side of the pitch and found Dalglish who passed to Graeme Souness, who ran late through the Real defence. His subsequent shot was not held by Agustín, but Souness was unable to get to the rebounded ball. Real had the first chance of the second half. Liverpool's defence had stopped as they thought Cunningham was offside, however he was not and Camacho advanced towards Ray Clemence in the Liverpool goal. Clemence came off his line and ran towards the Real midfielder, Camacho attempted to lob the ball over the keeper, but his shot went over the goal.


1981 European Cup Final, Match, Summary
The tactical approaches of the two sides were cancelling each other out. Real's slow pace interspersed with high speed bursts, while Liverpool preferred a more deliberate approach, keeping possession and making use of their wingers. Their various forms of marking also negated each other, Real man marked Liverpool's best players such as Dalglish and Souness, while Liverpool were content for the nearest defender to mark the man on the ball.


1981 European Cup Final, Match, Summary
Despite the tactical battle Liverpool were able to score in the 81st minute. A throw-in from Ray Kennedy found Alan Kennedy, whose run up the left hand side of the pitch caught Real off-guard. Kennedy went past Real defender Rafael García Cortés into the Real box, his subsequent shot beat the Real goalkeeper to give Liverpool the lead. Soon afterwards Liverpool replaced Dalglish with midfielder Jimmy Case in an attempt to see out the match.


1981 European Cup Final, Match, Summary
Although Liverpool had chances to extend their lead as Real went all out to score, Real keeper Agustín made a number of saves to keep his team in the game. The score remained 1–0 and Liverpool won their third European Cup, the first English club to do so. Liverpool's victory meant that Bob Paisley became the first manager to win the European Cup three times.


1981 European Cup Winners' Cup Final
The 1981 European Cup Winners' Cup Final was a football match contested on 13 May 1981 between Dinamo Tbilisi of the Soviet Union and Carl Zeiss Jena of East Germany. It was the final game of the 1980–81 European Cup Winners' Cup, and the 21st European Cup Winners' Cup final, held at Rheinstadion in Düsseldorf, West Germany. Only 4,750 people attended the match, though some sources claim there were 9,000 people. Dinamo Tbilisi won the match 2–1 thanks to goals by Vladimir Gutsaev and Vitaly Daraselia.


1981 European Fencing Championships
The first European Fencing Championships were held in 1981 in Foggia, Italy. The competition consisted of individual events only.


1981 European Figure Skating Championships
The 1981 European Figure Skating Championships was a senior-level international competition held at the Olympia Hall in Innsbruck, Austria from February 3 to 8, 1981. Figure skaters competed for the title of European Champion in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing.


1981 European Formula Two Championship
The 1981 European Formula Two season was the fifteenth European Formula Two season and was contested over 12 rounds. The season started on 19 March and ended on 20 September. The Drivers' Championship was won by Englishman Geoff Lees.


1981 European Judo Championships
The 1981 European Judo Championships were the 30th edition of the European Judo Championships, and were held in Debrecen, Hungary on 17 May 1981.


1981 European Junior Badminton Championships
The 1981 European Junior Badminton Championships was the seventh edition of the European Junior Badminton Championships. It was held in Edinburgh, Scotland, in the month of April. Denmark won four disciplines, the Boys' singles and doubles, Girls' doubles and mixed team championships, while, English players secured titles in Girls' singles and Mixed doubles.


1981 European Karate Championships
The 1981 European Karate Championships was held in Venice, Italy, from May 2–4, 1981.


1981 European Marathon Cup
The 1981 European Marathon Cup was the 1st edition of the European Marathon Cup of athletics and were held in Agen, France.


1981 European Parliament election in Greece
The European Parliament election of 1981 in Greece was the election of the delegation from Greece to the European Parliament in 1981. The rest of the European Community voted in 1979 before Greece became a member state. Greece was allocated 24 seats in the Parliament.


1981 European Tour
The 1981 European Tour was the 10th official season of golf tournaments known as the PGA European Tour and organised by the Professional Golfers' Association.


1981 European Tour
The Order of Merit was won by West Germany's Bernhard Langer.


1981 European Tour, Rule changes
The local rule that had been introduced on the tour in 1976 which allowed spike marks to be repaired was rescinded, and a local rule that prohibited touching of the line of a putt with a club was introduced.


1981 European Tour, Schedule
The table below shows the 1981 European Tour schedule which was made up of 22 tournaments counting for the Official Money List, and some non-counting tournaments later known as "Approved Special Events". There were several changes from the previous season, with the addition of the Lawrence Batley International, and the loss of the Newcastle Brown "900" Open and the Merseyside International Open.


1981 European Tour, Official Money List
The PGA European Tour's money list was known as the "Official Money List". It was based on prize money earned during the season and calculated in Pound sterling.


1981 European Weightlifting Championships
The 1981 European Weightlifting Championships were held in Lille, France from September 13 to September 20, 1981. This was the 60th edition of the event. There were 149 men in action from 25 nations. This tournament was a part of 1981 World Weightlifting Championships.


1981 European Women's Artistic Gymnastics Championships
The 13th European Women's Artistic Gymnastics Championships were held in Madrid.


1981 European Wrestling Championships
The 1981 European Wrestling Championships were held in the men's Freestyle style in Lodz Poland  23 – 26 April 1981; the Greco-Romane style in Gothenburg Sweden 8 – 11 April 1981.


1981 Extended Play
1981 Extended Play is the debut EP by American rock duo I Dont Know How But They Found Me, released on November 9, 2018 via Fearless Records.


1981 Extended Play, Background
On October 26, 2017, the duo released the single “Choke" as a follow-up to their debut single “Modern Day Cain”. “Choke” would later be re-released with new artwork alongside the next single, “Do It All the Time” in August 2018. On March 14, 2018 the song "Nobody Likes The Opening Band" and accompanying music video were released as a free download on the band’s website, but would not appear on any official releases until 2020's Razzmatazz.


1981 Extended Play, Background
1981 EP was officially announced on October 12, 2018, the same day the music video for “Do It All the Time” was released. The third and final single from the EP, "Bleed Magic", was released on October 26, 2018. On physical copies of the EP, the track "Choke" has a sample of the 1973 British Public Information short film, Lonely Water, at the very end.


1981 F1 Powerboat World Championship
The 1981 John Player Special Formula 1 World Series was the inaugural season of Formula 1 Powerboat racing. Representing the 'OZ' racing class of the period, the championship was formed as a consequence of a difference of opinion between the leading figures in powerboat racing at the time, and was heavily supported by both John Player and engine manufacturer Outboard Marine Corporation, whose Johnson and Evinrude branded engines were used by the entire field. Whilst the series was designed to showcase the firm's huge 3.5 litre V8 engines, the very first race saw all boats using smaller V6 units and only six drivers would be given the V8 engines for the remainder of the year.


1981 F1 Powerboat World Championship
Renato Molinari was the series' first ever champion, winning four of the five races he contested. In total, six races made up the 1981 world championship, beginning in Como, Italy and ending in Den Bosch, Netherlands. An additional non-championship invitational race, the British Grand Prix, was also held at Chasewater.


1981 F1 Powerboat World Championship, Results and standings
Points were awarded to the top six finishers based on the aggregated results of between one and four heat races during the event. Any drivers below sixth place were not classified (NC).


1981 FA Charity Shield
The 1981 FA Charity Shield was the 59th FA Charity Shield, an annual football match played between the winners of the previous season's Football League and FA Cup competitions. The match was played on 22 August 1981 at Wembley Stadium and played between 1980–81 Football League champions Aston Villa and FA Cup winners Tottenham Hotspur. The match ended in a 2–2 draw and the sides shared the trophy for six months each.


1981 FA Charity Shield
Peter Withe scored twice for Villa, and Mark Falco twice for Tottenham, in front of a 92,500-strong crowd.


1981 FA Cup Final
The 1981 FA Cup Final was the 100th final of the FA Cup, and was contested by Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City.


1981 FA Cup Final
The original match took place on Saturday 9 May 1981 at Wembley, and finished 1–1 after extra-time. Tommy Hutchison opened the scoring for City in the 30th minute, but scored an own-goal in the 79th minute to bring Spurs level.


1981 FA Cup Final
The replay took place five days later on Thursday 14 May 1981, and was the first replay since 1970 and the first to be staged at Wembley. Ricky Villa opened the scoring for Spurs in the eighth minute, before Steve MacKenzie equalised for City three minutes later. A Kevin Reeves penalty five minutes into the second half put the Manchester side ahead, before Garth Crooks brought Spurs level again in the 70th minute.


1981 FA Cup Final
Then, in the 76th minute, Tony Galvin passed to Villa 30 yards from City's goal, and the Argentinian proceeded to skip past four defenders before slotting the ball past City goalkeeper Joe Corrigan. This goal was voted Wembley Goal of the Century in 2001, and it won Tottenham the match, 3–2, and the FA Cup for the sixth time. The five goals in the replay made it the highest scoring FA Cup Final replay.


1981 FA Cup Final, Cup final song
Tottenham's cup final song was "Ossie's dream", recorded by the musical duo Chas and Dave with the Tottenham squad. Argentine player Ossie Ardiles famously sang the line "In the cup for Tottingham".


1981 FA Trophy Final
The 1981 FA Trophy Final was the 12th final of the FA Trophy, the Football Association's cup competition for non-League teams. It was contested by Bishop's Stortford and Sutton United. Bishop's Stortford won the match 1–0 with Terry Sullivan scoring the goal in the 90th minute.


1981 FAI Cup Final
The 1981 FAI Cup Final was the final match of the 1980–81 FAI Cup, a knock-out association football competition contested annually by clubs affiliated with the Football Association of Ireland. It took place on Sunday 26 April 1981 at Dalymount Park in Dublin, and was contested by Dundalk and Sligo Rovers. The competition was sponsored by Mitre. Dundalk won the match 2–0 to win the cup for the seventh time.


1981 FAI Cup Final, Background
The two sides' two previous meetings that season had been in the League, with Dundalk winning both matches – including a 3–0 victory in The Showgrounds in Sligo two weeks earlier. Dundalk had finished as runners-up in the 1980–81 League of Ireland, and had already won that season's League Cup. To reach the final they had defeated non-League Hammond Lane (1–0), St Patrick's Athletic (2–0 in a replay following a 1–1 draw), Drogheda United (1–0 in a replay following a 0–0 draw), and Finn Harps (1–0).


1981 FAI Cup Final, Background
Sligo Rovers were the underdogs, having finished 11th in the League, and were playing in their fifth FAI Cup final, having lost in all four of their previous appearances - most recently in 1978. They had overcome UCD (2–1 in a replay following a 1–1 draw), Home Farm (3–0), and Waterford (1–0 in a replay following a 2–2 draw) to reach the final.


1981 FAI Cup Final, Background
The match was not broadcast live. Highlights were shown that evening on the RTÉ show Sports Scene, with commentary from Jimmy Magee.


1981 FAI Cup Final, Match, Summary
Dundalk were made heavy favourites going into the match, which both managers sought to use as motivation for their players. The match, described in press reports as "wind-spoiled", had a nondescript first half, but seven minutes into the second half a corner taken by John Archbold sailed straight into the net without being touched by anyone. Sligo subsequently pressed hard for an equaliser, but were well-marshalled by the experienced Dundalk defence. In the 78th minute one such Sligo attack broke down, and Mick Fairclough latched onto a long clearance by Sean Byrne to race through and score Dundalk's second to seal the win. The victory gave Dundalk their only FAI Cup and League Cup Double.


1981 FAMAS Awards
The 29th Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences Awards Night was held in 1981 in the Philippines. This is for the Outstanding Achievements of the different films for the year 1980.


1981 FIA European Formula 3 Championship
The 1981 FIA European Formula 3 Championship was the seventh edition of the FIA European Formula 3 Championship. The championship consisted of 14 rounds across the continent. The season was won by Italian Mauro Baldi, with Alain Ferté second and Philippe Alliot in third.


1981 FIBA Africa Championship for Women
The 1981 FIBA Africa Championship for Women was the 7th FIBA Africa Championship for Women. It was played under the rules of FIBA, the world governing body for basketball, and the FIBA Africa thereof. The tournament was hosted in 1981 by Senegal from September 5 to 13.


1981 FIBA Club World Cup
The 1981 FIBA Club World Cup was the 15th edition of the FIBA Intercontinental Cup for men's basketball clubs. It was the first edition of the competition that was held under the name of FIBA Club World Cup. It took place at São Paulo, Brazil.


1981 FIBA Club World Cup, Places 7–10
Note: The individual scores in the League stage are accumulated.


1981 FIBA Club World Cup, Places 1–6
Note: The individual scores in the League stage are accumulated.


1981 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship
The 1981 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship (known at that time as 1981 European Championship for Cadets) was the 6th edition of the FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship. The cities of Thessaloniki and Katerini, in Greece, hosted the tournament. The Soviet Union won the trophy for the third time and became the most winning country in the tournament.


1981 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship, Preliminary round
The twelve teams were allocated in two groups of six teams each.


1981 FIBA Oceania Championship
The FIBA Oceania Championship for Men 1981 was the qualifying tournament of FIBA Oceania for the 1982 FIBA World Championship. The tournament, a best-of-three series between  Australia and  New Zealand, was held in Christchurch, New Zealand. Australia won the series 2-0.


1981 FIFA World Youth Championship
The 1981 FIFA World Youth Championship, the third edition of the FIFA World Youth Championship, was held in Australia from 3 to 18 October 1981. The tournament took place in six venues—where a total of 32 matches were played. Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Newcastle and Sydney—The winner was West Germany, who beat surprise package Qatar 4–0 in a final held at Sydney Cricket Ground.


1981 FIFA World Youth Championship, Squads
For a list of all squads that played in the final tournament, see 1981 FIFA World Youth Championship squads.


1981 FIFA World Youth Championship, Goalscorers
Mark Koussas of Australia won the Golden Shoe award for scoring four goals. In total, 87 goals were scored by 56 different players, with two of them credited as own goals.


1981 FIFA World Youth Championship squads
Below are the rosters for the 1981 FIFA World Youth Championship tournament in Australia. Those marked in bold went on to earn full international caps.


1981 FINA Men's Water Polo World Cup
The 1981 FINA Men's Water Polo World Cup was the second edition of the event, organised by the world's governing body in aquatics, the International Swimming Federation (FINA). The event took place in Long Beach, United States. The eight participating teams played a round robin to decide the second ever winner of what would be a bi-annual event until 1999.


1981 FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup
The 1981 FIS Freestyle Skiing World Cup was the second World Cup season in freestyle skiing organised by International Ski Federation. The season started on 16 January 1981 and ended on 22 March 1981. This season included four disciplines: aerials, moguls, ballet and combined.


1981 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Cup
The 1981 FIVB Men's World Cup was held from 19 to 28 November 1981 in Japan. It was the 4th edition of the competition.


1981 FIVB Volleyball Women's U20 World Championship
The 1981 FIVB Women's U20 World Championship was held in Mexico City, Mexico from October 16 to 26, 1981. 15 teams participated in the tournament.


1981 FIVB Volleyball Women's U20 World Championship, Qualification
A total of 15 teams qualified for the final tournament. In addition to Mexico, who qualified automatically as the hosts, another 14 teams qualified via four separate continental tournament.


1981 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Cup
The 1981 FIVB Women's World Cup was held from 6 to 16 November 1981 in Osaka, Japan.


1981 Falkland Islands general election
The Falkland Islands general election of 1981 was held on Thursday 1 October 1981 to elect members to the Legislative Council. Six Councillors were elected through universal suffrage, one from each constituency (Camp, East Falkland, East Stanley, West Falkland, West Stanley and Stanley).


1981 Falkland Islands general election, Results
Candidates in bold were elected. Candidates in italic were incumbents.


1981 Family Circle Cup
The 1981 Family Circle Cup was a women's tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts at the Sea Pines Racquet Club on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina in the United States that was part of the 1981 Avon Championships World Championship Series. It was the ninth edition of the tournament and was held from April 7 through April 12, 1981. First-seeded Chris Evert won the singles title and earned $30,000 first-prize money.


1981 Family Circle Cup, Finals, Doubles
Rosemary Casals /  'Wendy Turnbull defeated  Mima Jaušovec /  Pam Shriver 7–5, 7–5


1981 Federation Cup (tennis)
The 1981 Federation Cup (also known as the 1981 Federation Cup by NEC for sponsorship purposes) was the 19th edition of the most important competition between national teams in women's tennis. The tournament was held at the Tamagawa-en Racquet Club in Tokyo, Japan, from 9–15 November. The United States won their sixth consecutive title, defeating Great Britain in the final, in what was a rematch of the 1967 Federation Cup.


1981 Federation Cup (tennis), Draw
All ties were played at the Tamagawa-en Racquet Club in Tokyo, Japan, on clay courts.


1981 Federation Cup (tennis), Draw
1st and 2nd Round losing teams play in Consolation Rounds


1981 Fermanagh District Council election
Elections to Fermanagh District Council were held on 20 May 1981 on the same day as the other Northern Irish local government elections. The election used five district electoral areas to elect a total of 20 councillors.


1981 Fermanagh District Council election, Districts results, Area A
1977: 1 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Unity, 1 x Independent1981: 1 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x IIP, 1 x Independent Republican1977-1981 Change: IIP gain from Independent, Independent Republican leaves Unity


1981 Fermanagh District Council election, Districts results, Area B
1977: 2 x UUP, 1 x UUUP, 1 x SDLP1981: 2 x UUP, 1 x IIP, 1 x DUP1977-1981 Change: IIP and DUP gain from UUUP and SDLP


1981 Fermanagh District Council election, Districts results, Area C
1977: 1 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Unity, 1 x Independent Nationalist1981: 1 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x IIP, 1 x Independent Nationalist1977-1981 Change: Unity joins IIP


1981 Fermanagh District Council election, Districts results, Area D
1977: 2 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x UUUP1981: 2 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP1977-1981 Change: UUP gain from SDLP, UUUP joins DUP


1981 Fermanagh District Council election, Districts results, Area E
1977: 2 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x UUUP1981: 2 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x IIP1977-1981 Change: UUP and IIP gain from SDLP and UUUP


1981 Finance Funders season
The 1981 Finance Funders season was the seventh season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).


1981 Finance Funders season, Transaction
Signed rookie Alejo Alolor, who previously played in Cebu and briefly saw action in the MICAA.


1981 Finance Funders season, Imports
Finance, Inc. (formerly Honda Hagibis) had 7-foot-1 Canadian Olympian Jim Zoet and 6-8 Michael Carter as their imports for the Open Conference. Carter played four games and was replaced by James Woods while his partner Jim Zoet played nine games and was replaced by B.B. Davis.


1981 Finance Funders season, Imports
In the Reinforced Filipino Conference, the Funders import was the high-scoring Jessie Boyd.


1981 Finnish motorcycle Grand Prix
The 1981 Finnish motorcycle Grand Prix was the twelfth round of the 1981 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of 7–9 August 1981 at the Imatra Circuit.


1981 Fischer-Grand Prix
The 1981 Fischer-Grand Prix was a men's tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna in Austria that was part of the 1981 Volvo Grand Prix. It was the seventh edition of the tournament and was held from 19 October until 25 October 1981. First-seeded Ivan Lendl won the singles title.


1981 Fischer-Grand Prix, Finals, Doubles
Steve Denton /  Tim Wilkison defeated  Sammy Giammalva Jr. /  Fred McNair 4–6, 6–3, 6–4


1981 Fischer-Grand Prix – Doubles
Bob Lutz and Stan Smith were the defending champions but only Smith competed that year with Brian Gottfried.


1981 Fischer-Grand Prix – Doubles
Gottfried and Smith lost in the quarterfinals to Steve Denton and Tim Wilkison.


1981 Fischer-Grand Prix – Doubles
Denton and Wilkison won in the final 4–6, 6–3, 6–4 against Sammy Giammalva Jr. and Fred McNair.


1981 Fischer-Grand Prix – Doubles, Seeds
The draw allocated unseeded teams at random; as a result one seeded team received a bye into the second round.


1981 Fischer-Grand Prix – Singles
Brian Gottfried was the defending champion but lost in the final 1–6, 6–0, 6–1, 6–2 to Ivan Lendl.


1981 Fischer-Grand Prix – Singles, Seeds
The draw allocated unseeded players at random; as a result seven seeds received a bye into the second round.


1981 Five Nations Championship
The 1981 Five Nations Championship was the fifty-second series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the eighty-seventh series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played between 17 January and 21 March.


1981 Five Nations Championship
France were the winners, winning the championship outright for the eighth time. They had also shared the title on four other occasions. In winning all their four matches they also won the Grand Slam for the third time.


1981 Florida Federal Open
The 1981 Florida Federal Open was a women's tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts at the East Lake Woodlands Racquet Club in Tampa, Florida in the United States that was part of the Toyota Series circuit of the 1981 WTA Tour and classified as category 4. It was the ninth edition of the tournament and was held from October 5 through October 11, 1981. First-seeded Martina Navratilova won the singles title and earned $22,000 first-prize money.


1981 Florida Federal Open, Finals, Doubles
Rosie Casals /  Wendy Turnbull defeated  Martina Navratilova /  Renáta Tomanová 6–3, 6–4


1981 Florida Gators football team
The 1981 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida during the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. The season was Charley Pell's third year as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team. Pell's 1981 Florida Gators posted an overall record of 7–5 and a Southeastern Conference (SEC) record of 3–3, and tying for fourth place among ten SEC teams.


1981 Florida State Seminoles football team
The 1981 Florida State Seminoles football team represented Florida State University in the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Bobby Bowden and played their home games at Doak Campbell Stadium.


1981 Florida State Seminoles football team, Season summary
Florida State finished with a 6–5 record and were not invited to a Bowl game. The Seminoles' offense scored 240 points while the defense allowed 286 points. The Seminoles played a murderers row schedule on the road, as in consecutive weeks, they played at #17 Nebraska, at #7 Ohio State, at Notre Dame, at #3 Pittsburgh and at LSU. Greg Allen led the team in rushing with 888 yards. Rick Stockstill led the team in passing with 1356 yards and 11 touchdown passes. Michael Whiting led the team in receptions with 29.


1981 Florida State Seminoles football team, Season summary
Phil Williams led the team in receiving yards with 413. Harvey Clayton led the team with 5 pass interceptions. Jarvis Coursey {DE}, Tim McCormick {C}, Rohn Stark {P} and Barry Voltapetti {OT} were selected to the First team All-South Independent team. Rohn Stark was selected as a First team All-Ameican. Greg Allen {RB}, Garry Futch {G}, McCormick and Voltapetti were named as Honorable Mention All-Americans by the Associated Press. Stark {Baltimore Colts}, Ron Hester {LB}, {Miami} and Mike Whiting {RB} {Dallas} were selected in the 1982 NFL draft.


1981 Florida State Seminoles football team, Season summary, LOUISVILLE
Florida State eked out a 17–0 victory over Louisville, but it wasn't easy. Frustrated throughout by a Louisville defense led by tackle Richard Tharpe, the Seminoles staggered and stumbled most of the way. Four times Tharpe got through and sacked quarterback Rick Stockstill. It was 10-0 after the first quarter, as Mike Rendina kicked a 24-yard field goal and Stockstill hit Jessie Hester with an 11-yard scoring pass. With seven minutes left, Billy Allen broke away on a pitchout for a 50-yard scoring run to ice it. Allen ran the ball eight times for 89 yards. Louisville threatened numerous times only to be denied by the Seminole defense. FSU held the Cardinals to 133 yards of total offense.


1981 Florida State Seminoles football team, Season summary, MEMPHIS STATE
Florida State's offense managed to get a touchdown and a field goal on the board. Memphis State stayed in it to the end before falling 10–5. Late in the 1st quarter the Seminoles moved on a 77-yard drive for the only touchdown that came on Mike Whiting's 3 yard run in the first moments of the 2nd quarter. That erased a 2–0 deficit, which came when Rick Stockstill was trapped in the end zone by Cedric Wright on FSU's second series of the evening. Early in the 4th quarter Mike Rendina kicked a 46-yard field goal to make it 10–2. A few minutes later Gregg Hauss put through a 27 yarder for 3 points and the final score. Larry Harris intercepted a pass with 4 seconds remaining, did the Seminoles have this one wrapped up.


1981 Florida State Seminoles football team, Season summary, Nebraska
Nebraska held a close 10–7 lead at halftime, but the momentum quickly turned in favor of the Cornhuskers when WB Irving Fryar scored on an 82-yard punt return, followed up six game clock seconds later when DE Tony Felici's off-the-bench opportunity allowed him to recover a Florida State fumble on the kickoff and return it 13 yards for another touchdown. Nebraska sealed the deal on a 94-yard touchdown run by IB Roger Craig.


1981 Florida State Seminoles football team, Season summary, Ohio State
The Seminoles knocked #7 Ohio State from the unbeaten ranks 36–27. Rick Stockstill completed 25 of 41 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns. Stockstill directed two third quarter drives to touchdowns that were the difference. The first covered 88 yards in 11 plays, the second 99 in nine. The Seminoles increased their 23-21 halftime lead as a result of these drives. No bigger play was Ron Hester's blocked punt that he returned 35 yards for a touchdown in the 2nd quarter. Stockstill's TD passes were to Tony Johnson (13 yards) and Sam Childers (7 yards). Kelly Lowery and Ricky Williams had touchdown runs for the Seminoles.


1981 Florida State Seminoles football team, Season summary, Notre Dame
Florida State Seminoles, in their first ever visit to Notre Dame Stadium, left with a 19–13 victory. Mike Rendina kicked two field goals and Michael Whiting scored both the Seminoles touchdowns, a 17-yard pass from Rick Stockstill and a 5-yard pass from Stockstill. Ricky Williams ran for 135 yards. Stockstill passed for only 100 yards but his two TD passes were the difference in the game.


1981 Florida State Seminoles football team, Season summary, Lsu
Florida State crushed Louisiana State 38-14 before over 74,000 homecoming fans at Tiger Stadium. Offense, defense and special teams all contributed in the rout. Harvey Clayton had an interception and a 48-yard punt return. James Harris had 3 sacks, Warren Hanna blocked a punt and Billy Allen returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown. Greg Allen and Cedric Jones ran for touchdowns. Allen rushed for 202 yards, a new school record. Rick Stockstill passed for two touchdowns, one to Dennis McKinnon (22 yards) and one to Phil Williams (12 yards).


1981 Florida State Seminoles football team, Season summary, WESTERN CAROLINA
A homecoming crowd of over 52,000 at Doak Campbell Stadium was treated to an offensive show by both squads. It featured 623 yards of total offense by the Seminoles and 437 yards by Western Carolina. Greg Allen's 322 yards of rushing on 32 carries was the single-game best in college football this season, and shattered his own FSU record of 202 yards that be set a week ago at LSU. Allen had a 5-yard touchdown run and a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Michael Whiting ran for two touchdowns and Mike Rendina kicked two field goals. Dennis McKinnon, Tony Johnson and Cedric Jones had touchdowns for the Seminoles.


1981 Florida State Seminoles football team, Season summary, Miami (FL)
The Seminole kicking game was missing as they had two field goal attempts and an extra point blocked. The Noles and the Canes were tied 13-13 heading into the 4th quarter. Smokey Roan scored from 6 yards out for a 20-13 Hurricane lead. The Seminoles still had 10:47 left to come back, but two plays later Rick Stockstill's slant pass was tipped and intercepted by Ronnie Tippett. Jim Kelly threw to Speedy Neal and broke two tackles on the way to the end zone for a 27–13 lead with 8:54 left. The Seminoles closed to 27–19 on a Stockstill 7 yard TD pass to Sam Childers.


1981 Florida State Seminoles football team, Season summary, SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI
Florida State crashed and burned before 51,819 spectators at Doak Campbell Stadium. Southern Miss did whatever they pleased in a 58–14 rout and moved to 9-0-1 on the season. The Seminoles trailed 51-0 before they finally got on the scoreboard with a Dennis McKinnon 50 yard TD reception from Blair Williams. Tom Wheeler caught a 6-yard TD pass from Williams to close out the scoring for the game.


1981 Florida State Seminoles football team, Season summary, Florida
Florida took a 13–3 lead into halftime and then poured it on in the 2nd half on the way to a 35–3 victory over the Seminoles. Wayne Peace threw four touchdown passes, including two to Mike Mularkey. Brian Clark added two field goals for the Gators. The Gators dominated the game from the opening drive to the final gun and won for the first time over Florida State since 1976.


1981 Football League Cup Final
The 1981 Football League Cup Final was a football match between Liverpool and West Ham United on 14 March 1981 at Wembley Stadium, London. It was the final match of the 1980–81 Football League Cup, the 21st staging of the Football League Cup, a competition for the 92 teams in The Football League. Both teams were appearing in their second final, and had both lost their first finals in 1966 and 1978 respectively.


1981 Football League Cup Final
Both teams entered the competition in the second round. Liverpool's matches were generally comfortable victories, with the exception of the semi-final against Manchester City, which they won 2–1 over two-legs. West Ham's matches were generally close affairs, they only won by more two goals once, when they beat Burnley 6–0 over two-legs in the second round.


1981 Football League Cup Final
Watched by a crowd of 100,000, the first 90 minutes was goalless and the final went to extra time. Liverpool opened the scoring in the 118th minute, when defender Alan Kennedy scored. The goal was hotly contested as the shot passed over Sammy Lee of Liverpool in an offside position, obstructing the view of the West Ham goalkeeper, Phil Parkes. Controversial referee, Clive Thomas, bizarrely allowed the goal to stand, based on his opinion that Lee was not interfering with play.


1981 Football League Cup Final
After the game, the usually placid West Ham manager, John Lyall, uncharacteristically expressed his anger to Thomas and said he "felt cheated". This was later misrepresented by Thomas as Lyall saying that "Thomas had cheated". The Liverpool lead lasted two minutes, as West Ham equalised courtesy of a Ray Stewart penalty, after a Liverpool handball on the line blocked a goal bound header from Alvin Martin. With the final score 1–1, the match was replayed on 1 April, at Villa Park, Birmingham. West Ham went ahead in the opening minutes, when Paul Goddard. However, their lead was short-lived as goals from Kenny Dalglish and Alan Hansen gave Liverpool the lead. No further goals were scored in the second half and Liverpool won the final 2–1 to win the competition for the first time.


1981 Football League Cup Final, Route to the final, Liverpool
Liverpool started slowly and lost the first leg of their 2nd-round game with Bradford City, before scoring four goals in the return leg at Anfield. They then scored a total of 12 goals in home ties against Swindon Town, Portsmouth and Birmingham City. In the semi-final they won their first leg at Manchester City, before a home draw allowed them to reach their second League Cup Final.


1981 Football League Cup Final, Route to the final, West Ham United
West Ham United played three Third Division sides in Burnley, Charlton Athletic and Barnsley to reach the quarter-final. Here, they beat First Division Tottenham Hotspur 1–0. In the semi-final; they recovered from losing the first leg to Coventry City to win the tie 4–3 on aggregate.


1981 Formula One World Championship
The 1981 FIA Formula One World Championship was the 35th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1981 Formula One World Championship for Drivers and the 1981 Formula One World Championship for Constructors, which were contested concurrently over a fifteen-race series that commenced on 15 March and ended on 17 October. Formula One cars also competed in the 1981 South African Grand Prix, although this was a Formula Libre race and was not part of the Formula One World Championship.


1981 Formula One World Championship
The 1981 championship was the first to be run under the FIA Formula One World Championship name; replacing both the original World Championship of Drivers and International Cup for Constructors. Teams were now required to lodge entries for the entire championship rather than individual races, and a standardised set of rules would be in place at every championship race, while the FIA would also set the prize money for all races.


1981 Formula One World Championship
Nelson Piquet won the Drivers' Championship, claiming the first of his three drivers' titles, while Williams won the Constructors' Championship for the second consecutive year.


1981 Formula One World Championship, Drivers and constructors
The following teams and drivers contested the 1981 FIA Formula One World Championship:


1981 Formula One World Championship, Calendar, Calendar changes
The South African Grand Prix at Kyalami on 7 February was originally on the calendar, but difficulties from the ongoing FISA–FOCA war led to the event being run as a non-championship race, and it was contested only by the Ford-Cosworth powered teams all running cars that had aerodynamic devices which were banned for the 1981 championship season.


1981 Formula One World Championship, Calendar, Calendar changes
The Brazilian Grand Prix was moved from Autodromo de Interlagos to Jacarepaguá for 1981. The race date was moved from January to March.


1981 Formula One World Championship, Calendar, Calendar changes
The Argentine Grand Prix was moved from January to April.


1981 Formula One World Championship, Calendar, Calendar changes
The San Marino Grand Prix was run for the first time in 1981. The race was held at Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari on 3 May.


1981 Formula One World Championship, Calendar, Calendar changes
The French Grand Prix was moved from Paul Ricard Circuit to Dijon-Prenois, in keeping with the event-sharing arrangement between the two circuits.


1981 Formula One World Championship, Calendar, Calendar changes
The British Grand Prix was moved from Silverstone to Brands Hatch, in keeping with the event-sharing arrangement between the two circuits.


1981 Formula One World Championship, Calendar, Calendar changes
The Italian Grand Prix was moved from the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari to the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza for 1981, Monza couldn't host the Italian Grand Prix in 1980 because of major upgrades, including building a new pit complex which could not be done in time for 1980. It was done in time for 1981.


1981 Formula One World Championship, Calendar, Calendar changes
The United States Grand Prix was originally scheduled for 4 October, but was cancelled due to the financial difficulties Watkins Glen International was having.


1981 Formula One World Championship, Calendar, Calendar changes
The Caesars Palace Grand Prix was added as a replacement for the cancelled United States Grand Prix, the race was held at the Caesars Palace parking lot in Las Vegas. It was the first time that a F1 race was held at Caesars Palace.


1981 Formula One World Championship, Season Review, Pre-season
The 1981 Formula One season was a noteworthy season of Grand Prix racing for many reasons: it was effectively the first season that Brabham team owner Bernie Ecclestone and FOCA had the Concorde Agreement in place, which would set Formula One on a course to become a profitable business, thanks to the growing professional involvement of outside companies and professional sponsorship.


1981 Formula One World Championship, Season Review, Pre-season
There had been a lot of change over the winter. Williams had the same driver line-up as in 1980 with World Champion Alan Jones and Carlos Reutemann; and Brabham was little-changed as well with BT49Cs for Nelson Piquet and Hector Rebaque. McLaren had lost Alain Prost to Renault, despite a two-year contract, and so John Watson was partnered by Andrea de Cesaris. The team was in the process of being taken over by Ron Dennis's Project 4 and one of the new all-carbonfibre cars appeared in practice.


1981 Formula One World Championship, Season Review, Pre-season
Jean-Pierre Jabouille was still not recovered from his leg injuries from Canada the previous autumn and so Jean-Pierre Jarier was called in to be Jacques Laffite's team mate at the Ligier team (now officially called Talbot Ligier and using Matra V12 engines again). Tyrrell had lost both of its 1980 drivers with Derek Daly moving to March and so hired Eddie Cheever and Kevin Cogan. The team was without sponsorship again.


1981 Formula One World Championship, Season Review, Pre-season
Ferrari had replaced the retired Jody Scheckter with Didier Pironi and the team had the new turbocharged 126CK. Team Lotus had lost Mario Andretti to Alfa Romeo and so had hired Nigel Mansell to partner Elio de Angelis and were intending to debut the controversial twin-chassis Lotus 88. Team Ensign struggled on with Marc Surer driving while Emerson Fittipaldi had finally decided to retire as a driver and was replaced by Chico Serra to partner Keke Rosberg at Fittipaldi.


1981 Formula One World Championship, Season Review, Pre-season
Arrows had new sponsorship from Ceramiche Ragno and Beta and was running Riccardo Patrese and newcomer Siegfried Stohr while Osella expanded to two cars for Miguel Angel Guerra and Beppe Gabbiani. ATS continued with one car for Jan Lammers, while Theodore Racing had produced a new chassis for Patrick Tambay and RAM had gone into business with March Engineering and was running two March 811s for Daly and Eliseo Salazar.


1981 Formula One World Championship, Season Review, Non-championship race: South Africa
The South African Grand Prix, held on 7 February at the Kyalami Circuit near Johannesburg, was originally supposed to be the first round of the 1981 Formula One World Championship – but it was eventually stripped of its championship status. The ongoing FISA–FOCA war resulted in Fédération Internationale du Sport Automobile (FISA) insisting on a date change which was not acceptable to the race organisers. Approval was ultimately given for the race to go ahead on its original date but as a Formula Libre race rather than as a round of the Formula One World Championship.


1981 Formula One World Championship, Season Review, Non-championship race: South Africa
The downgraded race was supported by the Formula One Constructors Association (FOCA) aligned teams but not by Ferrari, Ligier, Osella, Renault, or Alfa Romeo, whose allegiances lay with FISA. This race was run with the cars running in 1980-specification trim, with the ground-effect wing cars of the time, equipped with sliding skirts that increased their downforce by ensuring the air under the car did not escape from under the car, where the most important airflow was.


1981 Formula One World Championship, Season Review, Non-championship race: South Africa
In qualifying, it was once again a major battle between the major players of 1980. The Brabham of Nelson Piquet battled the two Williams cars of Alan Jones and Carlos Reutemann for pole position. Piquet took pole, with Reutemann in second. Reutemann had a close call when in the closing minutes of the session, his Williams spun off and went into the catch fencing. The fencing had wrapped around his windpipe and had begun to strangle Reutemann, and the hapless Argentine was unable to remove the catchfencing on his own.


1981 Formula One World Championship, Season Review, Non-championship race: South Africa
It was only the quick mobilisation of the marshalls that were able to rescue Reutemann from what could have quite easily have been his death. Following Reutemann was Jones, Keke Rosberg in the Fittipaldi, Elio de Angelis (Lotus), Riccardo Patrese (Arrows), Ricardo Zunino (Brabham), Nigel Mansell (Lotus) and Andrea de Cesaris (McLaren).


1981 Formula One World Championship, Season Review, Non-championship race: South Africa
The race was held in quite wet conditions, however the rain had abated shortly before the start of the grand prix. Notably it was only Carlos Reutemann from second on the grid and Keke Rosberg in fourth on the grid who went for slicks, everyone else was on wet weather tyres. Unsurprisingly, Reutemann and Rosberg made poor starts in the still wet conditions. Piquet maintained his lead as Reutemann dropped behind Elio de Angelis and the fast starting Jan Lammers who had come up from tenth on the grid.


1981 Formula One World Championship, Season Review, Non-championship race: South Africa
Lammers was running well behind De Angelis before on the second lap, he went for the overtake. Lammers lost control in the wet conditions and tapped the rear of De Angelis where he spun wide into the gravel trap. He dropped right down to the back of the field where he would go on to retire later in the race with brake fade. Nigel Mansell had made a storming start, moving into fourth place with John Watson right behind him. The reigning champion Alan Jones had dropped down to sixth after a poor start to the race.


1981 Formula One World Championship, Season Review, Non-championship race: South Africa
Derek Daly had also done well to climb up to seventh, on March's return to F1. On lap 4, both Mansell and Watson moved ahead of Reutemann. A three way battle for second place then followed with De Angelis, Mansell and Watson. Lap five saw Watson move ahead of Mansell, the following lap he moved ahead of the other Lotus of De Angelis. Alan Jones then began a comeback drive, moving ahead of Reutemann and Mansell.


1981 Formula One World Championship, Season Review, Non-championship race: South Africa
On lap 11, Geoff Lees spun off the circuit in his Theodore, Lees unluckily went through the catchfencing and was hit on the head by one of the catchfencing poles. Lees had to be lifted out of the car by the marshalls as he had been briefly knocked unconscious by the pole. The track had then began to dry, Alan Jones was the first driver to come into slicks with Nigel Mansell following suit, despite having spun on the previous lap. Jones having aquaplaned off the circuit on his out-lap damaged the rear of his car.


1981 Formula One World Championship, Season Review, Non-championship race: South Africa
Jones returned to the pits as his mechanics were forced to repair his rear wing. Jones would later retire with a loose skirt. By this time, only Piquet and Watson were the only front runners not to have pitted. Piquet pitted for new tyres allowing Watson to take the lead of the race. Watson then followed Piquet into the pits the following lap. Reutemann now inherited the lead, enjoying a comfortable lead, his gamble of racing with dry tyres since the start of the race had paid off. Female racer Desiré Wilson retired on lap 51 when she spun her Tyrrell off the circuit. Reutemann took a comfortable win, 20 seconds ahead of Piquet ahead of de Angelis, Rosberg and John Watson in a McLaren.


1981 Formula One World Championship, Season Review, Race 1: United States West
The first of two rounds in the United States of America started a trilogy of F1 races in the Americas on March 15 at the Long Beach street circuit in southern California, just outside the sprawling metropolis of Los Angeles. Goodyear had decided to withdraw from F1 and so everyone was on Michelin tires, and the cars were now running in new 1981-specification cars, with the sliding skirts now banned and cars required to have a 6 cm ground clearance, in order to reduce downforce.


1981 Formula One World Championship, Season Review, Race 1: United States West
Qualifying resulted in something of a surprise with Patrese on pole in the Arrows with Jones and Reutemann behind him. Piquet was fourth with Villeneuve fifth, home favorite Andretti sixth and Mansell seventh. The top 10 was completed by Cheever, Giacomelli (Alfa Romeo) and Jarier. The circuit had been slightly modified with the second left hander on Pine Avenue made one fluid corner instead of two apexes.


1981 Formula One World Championship, Season Review, Race 1: United States West
Raceday had typically perfect Long Beach weather, and at the start Villeneuve made an amazing start and charged down to Queen's Hairpin, the first corner so quickly that he overshot and so Patrese went into the lead with Jones and Reutemann chasing. In the middle of the pack Prost and de Cesaris collided and both went out. Pironi made a remarkable start to go from 11th on the grid to fourth, ahead of Piquet, the recovering Villeneuve, Cheever and Andretti.


1981 Formula One World Championship, Season Review, Race 1: United States West
On the second lap Reutemann overtook Jones for second but otherwise the top six remained unchanged until lap 17 when Pironi was able to pass Piquet for fourth but on the next lap Villeneuve's Ferrari stopped with a driveshaft failure and so Cheever moved to sixth place. On lap 25 Patrese began to suffer from fuel pressure problems and lost the lead to Reutemann. Patrese soon headed for the pits and so everyone moved up a place and Andretti took over sixth place.


1981 Formula One World Championship, Season Review, Race 1: United States West
As Jones closed up on Reutemann, the Argentine driver made a mistake on Pine Avenue as he lapped Surer and went wide. Jones went ahead. On the same lap Laffite overtook Andretti for sixth place and chased after Cheever. The two cars collided on lap 41 on Ocean Boulevard and Laffite ended up in the pits. As Cheever began to drop back, Andretti was able to climb to fifth place and on lap 54 that became fourth when Pironi slowed with an oil leak.


1981 Formula One World Championship, Season Review, Race 1: United States West
Jones thus led another Williams 1-2 with Piquet third, Andretti fourth, Cheever fifth and Tambay sixth in the Theodore.


1981 Formula One World Championship, Season Review, Race 2: Brazil
The Formula One circus moved from North to South America to start a two-stop tour there. The first round was at the Jacarepagua Autodrome in Rio de Janeiro – only the second time F1 had been there. F1 had previously visited the 5-mile Interlagos circuit in São Paulo in 1972–1980; this circuit was effectively dropped after 1980 because of safety issues with the circuit and the growing slums around the circuit being at odds with Formula One's glamorous image.


1981 Formula One World Championship, Season Review, Race 2: Brazil
Tyrrell rented its second car to Zunino but otherwise the field was exactly the same, although the new carbon-fibre McLaren MP4/1 which had been seen in Long Beach was not taken to South America. Jean-Pierre Jabouille tried to qualify the Talbot Ligier but his legs were clearly not well enough healed from his accident in Montreal 6 months earlier and so the car was handed over to Jean-Pierre Jarier again.


1981 Formula One World Championship, Season Review, Race 2: Brazil
Lotus again ran into trouble with the twin-chassised Lotus 88 and there were murmurs about a new hydro-pneumatic suspension on the Brabhams which enabled the cars to be 6 cm off the ground when they were measured but much closer to the ground when they were out on the track. Pole position went to local hero Piquet in his Brabham with the two Williams cars of Reutemann and Jones behind him. Fourth was Patrese in the impressive Arrows while Prost put his Renault fifth ahead of Bruno Giacomelli's Alfa Romeo, Villeneuve's Ferrari 126CK, the second Renault of Rene Arnoux, Andretti's Alfa Romeo and the Lotus 81B of de Angelis.


1981 Formula One World Championship, Season Review, Race 2: Brazil
It was wet on race morning and at the start took place with the track damp but the rain holding off. Piquet decided to go on slick tires (but everyone else except Didier Pironi and Siegfried Stohr decided to use wets). Prost made a bad start and this caused the fast-starting Villeneuve to have to lift off. Andretti hit the rear of Villeneuve and went over the Ferrari. Behind them Arnoux, Eddie Cheever, Stohr and Chico Serra were all involved. At the front Reutemann went into the lead with Jones, Patrese, Giacomelli, de Angelis and the rest in pursuit.