1981 Cal Poly Pomona Broncos football team
Cal Poly Pomona was led by second-year head coach Roman Gabriel, and home games were played at Kellogg Field in Pomona, California. The Broncos finished the season with a record of four wins and seven losses (4–7, 1–1 CCAA). Overall, the team was outscored by its opponents 175–236 for the season.


1981 Cal Poly Pomona Broncos football team
This was the last season for CCAA football; the Broncos played thirteen seasons (1969–1981) in the conference. All three football members (Cal Poly Pomona, Cal Poly (SLO), and Cal State Northridge) moved their programs to the new Western Football Conference in 1982.


1981 Cal Poly Pomona Broncos football team, Team players in the NFL
No Cal Poly Pomona players were selected in the 1982 NFL Draft.


1981 Cal State Fullerton Titans football team
The 1981 Cal State Fullerton Titans football team represented California State University, Fullerton during the 1981 Division I-A football season.


1981 Cal State Fullerton Titans football team
The Titans competed in the Pacific Coast Athletic Association. The team was led by second-year head coach Gene Murphy, and played four home games at Titan Field on the Cal State Fullerton campus. The team shared the stadium with the baseball team and it was only used for the 1980 through 1982 seasons. They finished the season with a record of three wins and eight losses (3–8, 1–4 PCAA).


1981 Cal State Fullerton Titans football team, Team players in the NFL
No Cal State Fullerton Titans were selected in the 1982 NFL Draft. |}


1981 Cal State Hayward Pioneers football team
The 1981 Cal State Hayward Pioneers football team represented California State University, Hayward in the 1981 NCAA Division II football season. Cal State Hayward competed in the Far Western Conference (FWC).


1981 Cal State Hayward Pioneers football team
The Pioneers were led by seventh-year head coach Tim Tierney. They played home games at Pioneer Stadium in Hayward, California. The Pioneers finished the season as co-champion of the FWC, with a record of six wins, four losses and one tie (6–4–1, 4–1 FWC). They outscored their opponents 201–135 for the 1981 season.


1981 Cal State Hayward Pioneers football team, Team players in the NFL
No Cal State Hayward Pioneers players were selected in the 1982 NFL Draft.


1981 Cal State Northridge Matadors football team
The 1981 Cal State Northridge Matadors football team represented Cal State Northridge during the 1981 NCAA Division II football season.


1981 Cal State Northridge Matadors football team
Cal State Northridge competed in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). The 1981 Matadors were led by third-year head coach Tom Keele. They played home games at North Campus Stadium in Northridge, California. Cal State Northridge finished the season as champion of the CCAA for the first (and only) time, with a record of six wins, four losses and one tie (6–4–1, 2–0 CCAA). The Matadors outscored their opponents 203–174 for the season.


1981 Cal State Northridge Matadors football team
1981 was the last season for CCAA football. The Matadors ended up with 1 football championship (1981) in their 20 years of membership (from 1962 to 1981). All three 1981 football members of the CCAA (Cal State Northridge, Cal Poly Pomona, and Cal Poly (SLO)) moved their football programs to the new Western Football Conference for the 1982 season.


1981 Cal State Northridge Matadors football team, Team players in the NFL
No Cal State Northridge players were selected in the 1982 NFL Draft.


1981 Calder Cup playoffs
The 1981 Calder Cup playoffs of the American Hockey League began on April 7, 1981. The eight teams that qualified played best-of-seven series for Division Semifinals and Division Finals. The division champions played a best-of-seven series for the Calder Cup. The Calder Cup Final ended on May 20, 1981, with the Adirondack Red Wings defeating the Maine Mariners four games to two to win the Calder Cup for the first time in team history.


1981 Calder Cup playoffs
Maine set an AHL record for the most goals allowed in one playoff with 81. What makes this more notable is that the AHL playoffs now consist of four rounds of best-of-7 series, whereas Maine set this record in only 20 games—where the playoffs consisted of only three rounds of best-of-7 series.


1981 Calder Cup playoffs, Playoff seeds
After the 1980–81 AHL regular season, the top four teams from each division qualified for the playoffs. The Hershey Bears finished the regular season with the best overall record.


1981 Calder Cup playoffs, Bracket
In each round, the team that earned more points during the regular season receives home ice advantage, meaning they receive the "extra" game on home-ice if the series reaches the maximum number of games. There is no set series format due to arena scheduling conflicts and travel considerations.


1981 Calgary Stampeders season
The 1981 Calgary Stampeders finished in 5th place in the West Division with a 6–10 record and failed to make the playoffs.


1981 California Angels season
The California Angels 1981 season involved the Angels finishing with the 5th best overall record in the American League West with 51 wins and 59 losses. The season was suspended for 50 days due to the infamous 1981 players' strike and the league chose as its playoff teams the division winners from the first and second halves of the season.


1981 California Angels season, Player stats, Batting, Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in


1981 California Angels season, Player stats, Batting, Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in


1981 California Bowl
The 1981 California Bowl was an American college football bowl game played on December 19, 1981 at Bulldog Stadium in Fresno, California. The game pitted the Toledo Rockets and the San Jose State Spartans.


1981 California Bowl, Background
Toledo went 8–1 in conference play, with only a loss to Bowling Green State on the road being the blemish, though the Rockets finished as champions of the Mid-American Conference for the first time since 1971, which was the last time they had qualified for a bowl game. They were attempting to break their school record for most total offense (4,021), with the Rockets having 3,968 prior to the game. As for San Jose State, they went a perfect 5–0 in the Pacific Coast Athletic Association to finish as champions for the first time since 1978. This was their first bowl game since the Pasadena Bowl in 1971, with the two previous bowl games being at Ratcliffe Stadium, near where Bulldog Stadium was located.


1981 California Bowl, Game summary
The Rockets had the ball at their 20 with less than a minute to go. They drove 56 yards with two passes from quarterback Maurice Hall to set up a 41 yard field goal attempt for Tony Lee, whose longest field goal was 40 yards, with one missed kick from that distance already in the game. With 15 seconds to play, Lee's kick was good, and the Rockets pulled ahead to win the inaugural California Bowl.


1981 California Bowl, Game summary
San Jose State had 29 first downs to Toledo's 21, while the Rockets had 221 rushing yards to the 54 yards the Spartans had. As for passing, the Spartans had 467, while the Rockets had 265. Toledo outgained San Jose in return yards 133 to 102. Toledo turned the ball over three times, while San Jose turned it over six times. San Jose had 10 penalties for 85 yards while Toledo had 3 penalties for 25 yards. Possession time favored the Rockets, by 16 seconds. For Toledo, Maurice Hall went 11-of-21 for 265 yards and one touchdown, with one interception. Arnold Smiley rushed for 144 yards on 29 carries, while Rodney Achter caught 4 passes for 102 yards. For San Jose State, Steve Clarkson went 43-of-62 for 467 yards (both school records) for three touchdowns and five interceptions. Gerald Willhite caught 18 passes for 124 yards.


1981 California Bowl, Aftermath
This was Stobart's last game with Toledo, as he left for Utah after the game. The Rockets went to the California Bowl three years later, losing to UNLV, though the game was later forfeited when it was found that UNLV used ineligible players. The Rockets did not return to nor win a bowl game until 1995. San Jose State returned to the bowl in 1986, which they won.


1981 California Golden Bears football team
The 1981 California Golden Bears football team was an American football team that represented the University of California, Berkeley during the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. Under head coach Roger Theder, the team compiled an overall record of 2–9 and 2–6 in conference.


1981 Cambodian general election
General elections were held in Cambodia on 1 May 1981 and marked the establishment of the new, Vietnamese-backed, state of the People's Republic of Kampuchea (PRK). The Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party was the only party to contest the election, and won all 117 seats. Voter turnout was reported to be 97.8%.


1981 Cambodian general election
Pen Sovan, the General Secretary of the KPRP, became Prime Minister on 27 June 1981 but was removed from office on 5 December and replaced by Chan Sy.


1981 Cambodian general election, Background
In December 1978, the Vietnamese, along with the help of the Pol Pot opposition movement, the Kampuchean National United Front for National Salvation, invaded Kampuchea.


1981 Cambodian general election, Background
The Vietnamese, also known as the "elder brothers", took over Phnom Penh on 7 January 1979. 10 January 1979 marked the establishment of the People's Republic of Kampuchea (PRK) government. By the beginning of 1980, the Vietnamese had forced the defeated Democratic Kampuchean Army into their mountain fortifications.


1981 Cambodian general election, Background
In 1980, the Vietnamese seemed like the lesser evil as Cambodia faced a period of uncertainty. The greater fear lied in the potential revival of a coalition between the Democratic Kampuchea with the Chinese, Thai and Western backing. Furthermore, Cambodians initially perceived the Vietnamese as their liberators, many Khmer now saw them as opportunists who wished to subjugate the country. This was the general drive for many Vietnamese-opposing groups such as the KPNLF.


1981 Cambodian general election, Background
Prior to the political return of Prince Sihanouk, Cambodia's King who ruled from 1941 to 1955 and had recently been living in exile in Beijing, in January 1981, the leader of the KPNLF Son Sann, met with the Prime Minister of Democratic Kampuchea, Khieu Samphan. Prince Sihanouk returned to the political life on 8 February 1981, with the intention of heading “a government and a United Front against Vietnamese colonialism in Kampuchea.” In March 1981, Sihanouk's resistance movement called FUNCINPEC joined with the small resistance army known as the Armée Nationale Sihanoukiste (ANS), the Khmer Rouge, and Son Sann's KPNLF to discuss anti-Vietnamese and PAVN prospects. This only unsettled and prompted the Vietnamese to act quickly.


1981 Cambodian general election, Background
The Vietnamese’ effort to start a Khmer state and nation began in Spring 1981. On 10 March 1981, Radio Phnom Penh announced a draft constitution, which caused villagers to elect their local committees in a narrow time frame due to the pressure of growing anti-Vietnamese organizations.


1981 Cambodian general election, Electoral system
The 1981 elections are known for its close resemblance to the Vietnamese model. They were set up as a plurality system and applied in 20 MMCs. The law stated that for every MMC, there had to be more candidates than seats distributed. The electoral laws were exactly the same except for Article 4 in the new Cambodian constitution.


1981 Cambodian general election, Electoral system
This one explained that “Citizens of the PRK have the obligation to take part in the general elections to elect members of the National Assembly who, loyal to the fatherland, agree to follow the political line of the KNUFNS and work tirelessly in the service of the people.” A law nowhere to be found in the initial constitution.


1981 Cambodian general election, Electoral system
The district magnitude ranged from 2 to 13 seats with an average size of 5.9. There were open lists and multiple votes, with the voting process consisting of voters choosing their candidates by crossing off the names of those they did not wish to vote for.


1981 Cambodian general election, Electoral system
Candidates would then be nominated jointly by the Front Central Committee, the Central mass organizations, and the Front Committees and mass organizations at the lower levels. The deputies were directly elected for five-year terms, and the Assembly would meet around twice a year.


1981 Cambodian general election, Campaign
148 candidates, who were all approved by the electoral committee of the National United Front for the Salvation of Kampuchea, contested 117 seats in the National Assembly. No constituency had less than 2 seats to fill in the National Assembly.


1981 Cambodian general election, Conduct
The elections occurred in a hasty manner due to the growth of anti-Vietnamese forces through Khmer resistance meetings and the Vietnamese’ fear of potential coalescence between them.


1981 Cambodian general election, Conduct
Other issues with this election were found in the Constitution. An original draft had been initially printed and distributed 10,000 times in 1980, yet the 1981 Constitution more heavily emphasized Indo-Chinese solidarity and bore the stamp of the 1980 Vietnamese Constitution.


1981 Cambodian general election, Conduct
There were several other minor problems with the system, such as the regime's violation of its own decree of 18 March 1981. Rather than announcing candidates 15 days prior to the election, as was appropriate, the PRK only announced them 10 days in advance.


1981 Cambodian general election, Conduct
Another issue was spotted in the official results of 27 June 1981, when it was revealed that Sim Ka, who at the time was the Chairman of the Committee to Control State Affairs, had no seat in the Assembly and therefore no constituency.


1981 Cambodian general election, Results
The official results were broadcast on 1 May 1981 by Radio Phnom Penh, remaining in conformity with the Communist practice. They announced the proclamation of the People's Republic of Kampuchea which lead to Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party (KPRP) control of power. Considering its sole opponent was the isolated group of Khmer Rouge, the PRK claimed the majority of support.


1981 Cambodian general election, Results
The results only asserted President Heng Samrin and Vice President Pen Sovan’s leaderships as they secured 99.75% and 99.63% of the Phnom Penh constituency votes.


1981 Cambodian general election, Aftermath
On 29 May 1981, the Kampuchean People’s Revolutionary Party held a four-day congress in Phnom Peng. Lê Duẩn, the first secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, along with ten other foreign representatives attended the meeting. The Fourth Party Congress announced Pen Sovan as General secretary of the elected politburo and Central Committee of the Revolutionary Party of the People of Kampuchea.


1981 Cambodian general election, Aftermath
However, on 4 December 1981, the Vietnamese replaced Pen Sovan with Heng Samrin as Secretary General, because of Sovan's pro-Moscow sentiments.


1981 Cambodian general election, Aftermath
A list of foreign communist parties that supported the newly established Cambodian government was released on 16 June 1981. The organizations originated from various communist countries such as Vietnam, Laos (occupied by 60,000 Vietnamese troops), the Soviet Union (Vietnam’s only ally in Asia) along with its satellites, as well as the Indonesian Communist Party PKI.


1981 Cambodian general election, Aftermath
On 24 June 1981 the first National Assembly meeting was held. On 27 June 1981, Assembly Chairman Chea Sim along with the rest of the leaders of the national assembly, the Council of State, and the Council of Ministers took the oath of office and signed the constitution.


1981 Cambodian general election, Aftermath, Constitution
The National Assembly’s first session consisted of implementing a new Constitution. This constitution stated that Kampuchea was an “independent and peaceful state, and where power resided in the people’s hands”.


1981 Cambodian general election, Aftermath, Constitution
However, the Vietnamese disagreed with many points in the original 1980 Constitutional draft. These changes were then implemented into its official form in June 1981. The Constitution noted that Cambodia would slowly orient itself towards socialism under the leadership of the KPRP. It also claimed that the state’s biggest enemies were China, the US and other imperialist countries. The one country it did express some level of interest towards was the USSR considering it was Vietnam's only ally in Asia at the time.


1981 Cambodian general election, Aftermath, Constitution
The new Constitution allowed for new branches to be introduced, such as the National Assembly, the Council of State, and the Council of Ministers. These would only be enacted in 1982.


1981 Cambodian general election, Analysis
This election proved the overwhelming control the Vietnamese had on Kampuchea. The Vietnamese politburo offices in Phnom Penh determined policy in the Khmer party. In the provinces, civilian advisors from Vietnamese “sister” provinces worked in offices and services. Provincial candidates had to apply to gain approval from the Vietnamese in order to run and would then have to travel to Vietnam to take part in a political training. Advisory teams from the PAVN operated districts below the province level. They were in charge of picking candidates for local elections and also had authority over the Khmer district along with internal security and troop recruitment.


1981 Cambodian general election, Analysis
The KPRP refused to work with any non-communist political forces which lead to the establishment of an exiled government in 1982. This government was none other than the offspring issued by the coalition between FUNCINPEC, ANS, the Khmer Rouge and the KPNLF in March 1981. This government was supported by the People’s Republic of China and Thailand.


1981 Cambodian general election, Analysis
Seeing it as another form of Vietnamese expansionism, China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) failed to recognize the newly backed People’s Republic of Kampuchea (PRK). ASEAN saw Vietnam as a “stalking horse for Soviet expansionism.” From 1979 to 1981, Pol Pot’s exiled government, Democratic Kampuchea, continued to be recognized at the UN, since they saw the Vietnamese’ actions in Cambodia as a violation of the UN Charter. This system allowed ASEAN to avoid using force, especially since they were unable to provide adequate military capacity to change the state of Cambodia.


1981 Campeonato Argentino de Rugby
The Campeonato Argentino de Rugby 1981 was won by selection of Buenos Aires that beat in the final the selection of Unión de Rugby de Tucumàn


1981 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
The 1981 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, (officially the 1981 Taça de Ouro) was the 25th edition of the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A.


1981 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, Overview
It was performed by 44 teams, and Grêmio won the championship. Teams were selected by record on previous state championship


1981 Campeonato Brasileiro Série B
The 1981 Campeonato Brasileiro Série B, officially, the Taça de Prata 1981, was the 4th edition of the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B.The championship was performed by 48 clubs, divided into 6 groups of 8 teams each, in which the two best teams of each group proceeded to the second phase, in which the twelve teams were divided into four groups of three teams.the first placed team of each group were promoted to the Second phase of the Taça de Ouro of the same year. the second placed teams of each group would proceed to the semifinals, disputed in a knockout tournament format, in which the winners were promoted to the Taça de Ouro of the following year.


1981 Campeonato Brasileiro Série C
The 1981 Campeonato Brasileiro Série C, officially, the Taça de Bronze 1981, was the first edition of the Campeonato Brasileiro Série C.The championship was performed by 24 clubs. The first phase was disputed by a two-legged knockout tournament, in which the winners qualified to the Second phase, that was disputed in the same way. The winners qualified to the second phase, in which the six teams were divided into two groups of tree teams, that played against the teams of their own groups twice.the first-placed teams of each group qualified to the finals. The winner qualified to the Taça de Prata of the following year.


1981 Campeonato Carioca
The 1981 edition of the Campeonato Carioca kicked off on May 23, 1981 and ended on December 6, 1981. It is the official tournament organized by FFERJ (Federação de Futebol do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, or Rio de Janeiro State Football Federation. Only clubs based in the Rio de Janeiro State are allowed to play. Twelve teams contested this edition. Flamengo won the title for the 21st time. Serrano and Olaria were relegated.


1981 Campeonato Carioca, Championship, Taça Alfredo Curvelo
This tournament was played in late 1980, by the four teams that had been eliminated in the first round of the 1980 championship, and those that had been eliminated in the preliminary tournament of that year, to define the two teams that would play in the championship of 1981.


1981 Campeonato Gaúcho
The 61st season of the Campeonato Gaúcho kicked off on June 7, 1981 and ended in November 29, 1981. Twelve teams participated. Internacional won their 26th title. Armour and São Gabriel were relegated.


1981 Campeonato Paulista
The 1981 Campeonato Paulista da Primeira Divisão de Futebol Profissional was the 80th season of São Paulo's top professional football league. São Paulo won the championship by the 13th time. Noroeste was relegated.


1981 Campeonato Paulista, Championship
The championship would be divided into two rounds, and each round was divided into three phases - Qualifying, in which two teams qualified into the Final phase, Regular, in which six teams qualified into the Final phase, and Final, divided into two groups of four, with the winners of each group qualifying to the Finals. The winners of each round qualified to the Championship Finals.


1981 Campeonato Paulista, Championship, First round, Qualifying phase
This stage involved twelve teams:  all of the first level teams except for the eight teams that were still participating either in that year's Taça de Ouro or the Taça de Ouro. The twelve teams were divided into two groups of six, in which each team played twice against the teams of its own group. the top two teams of each group qualified to a playoff to determine the two teams that would qualify into that round's final phase.


1981 Campeonato Paulista, Championship, Second round, Qualifying phase
This stage, that happened simultaneously with the First round's Final stage, was composed of the twelve teams that had been eliminated in the First round, divided into three groups of four, in which each team played twice against the teams of its own group, with the best team in each group qualifying to the Finals, where the three teams played once against each other, the best two qualifying to the Second round's Final phase.


1981 Campeonato Paulista, Championship, Aggregate table
Much like in the previous year, the team with the fewest points would be relegated and the team with the second-fewest points would go to a playoff against the runner-up of the Second Level. only the results of the regular phases were counted. as such, Noroeste was relegated and São Bento had to dispute a playoff in neutral ground against XV de Piracicaba.


1981 Campionati Internazionali di Sicilia
The 1981 Campionati Internazionali di Sicilia, also known as the Sicilian Grand Prix, was a men's tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts in Palermo, Italy that was part of the 1981 Volvo Grand Prix. It was the third edition of the tournament and took place from 14 September until 20 September 1981. Unseeded Manuel Orantes won the singles title.


1981 Campionati Internazionali di Sicilia, Finals, Doubles
José Luis Damiani /  Diego Pérez defeated  Jaime Fillol /  Belus Prajoux 6–1, 6–4


1981 Can-Am season
The 1981 Can Am series season was the fourteenth running of the Sports Car Club of America's prototype-based series, and the fifth running of the revived series. Geoff Brabham was declared champion, despite only winning two races. Chevrolet again dominated the season. The dominant chassis manufacturers were March, Lola, Holbert, Frissbee, and VDS. IndyCar drivers Al Unser and Bobby Rahal also podiumed at Road America and Mosport, respectively.


1981 Can-Am season
The two liter class went to Jim Trueman in his Ralt.


1981 Canada Cup
The 1981 Labatt Canada Cup was the second best-on-best ice hockey world championship and involved the world's top six hockey nations. Tournament games were held in Edmonton, Winnipeg, Montreal and Ottawa. The Soviet Union defeated Canada in a single game final to win its first title by the score of 8–1. Soviet goaltender Vladislav Tretiak was named most valuable player. Canada's Wayne Gretzky led the tournament in scoring with 12 points.


1981 Canada Cup
This second edition of the Canada Cup was originally scheduled to be held in 1979 but was postponed due to disputes between the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association and Hockey Canada. It was postponed a second time in 1980 following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and Canada's boycott of sporting events with the Soviet Union as a result. When finally held in 1981, tournament organizer Alan Eagleson speculated it could be the last such event due to rising costs and disappointing attendance. Eagleson generated additional controversy when he refused to allow the Soviets to take the Canada Cup trophy with them to the Soviet Union.


1981 Canada Cup, Organization
At its congress in the summer of 1978, the International Ice Hockey Federation approved proposals to hold the second and third Canada Cup tournaments in 1979 and 1982. However, tensions between Canada's rival governing bodies, the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) and Hockey Canada, increased after the latter body accused the CAHA of reneging on promises it had made regarding Hockey Canada's control of international events involving professional players. Hockey Canada's chief negotiator for international events, Alan Eagleson, accused the CAHA of attempting to sabotage the Canada Cup and threatened to cancel the tournament if the CAHA refused to compromise with his body.


1981 Canada Cup, Organization
The tournament was put in further jeopardy in January 1979 when General Motors withdrew as a major sponsor; Eagleson argued GM withdrew as a result of the dispute with the CAHA. The disputes put the two bodies on the verge of severing all ties, a move that would have led to Hockey Canada refusing to release any professional or university player to any of Canada's national teams. The tournament was ultimately postponed by a year until September 1980.


1981 Canada Cup, Organization
The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in December 1979 and threatened boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow led organizers to consider again postponing the Canada Cup. While Eagleson initially favoured allowing the tournament to go ahead regardless of the political situation, he ultimately agreed that Hockey Canada should again postpone the Canada Cup after the Canadian Government joined the Olympic boycott. A brief effort to move the tournament to Sweden was quickly put down when Eagleson informed them that neither Hockey Canada nor the National Hockey League Players Association (NHLPA) would participate in such an event.


1981 Canada Cup, Organization
Undaunted, Eagleson and IIHF president Günther Sabetzki announced that the tournament had again been rescheduled for September 1981. This time, the tournament went ahead as scheduled.


1981 Canada Cup, Teams
The Soviet Union treated the 1976 Canada Cup with disdain, but entered this tournament intent on re-asserting themselves following their upset loss to the United States at the 1980 Winter Olympics. They were led by the KLM line of Vladimir Krutov, Igor Larionov and Sergei Makarov on offence, as well as the "Bobby Orr of the Soviet Union", Vyacheslav Fetisov, and Alexei Kasatonov on defence, with the venerable Vladislav Tretiak in goal. With a strong mixture of veterans and young players, the Soviets entered the tournament as favourites.


1981 Canada Cup, Teams
Canada brought a considerably younger team as compared to their 1976 entry. Three defencemen – Ray Bourque, Paul Reinhart and Craig Hartsburg were under the age of 22, while 20-year-old Wayne Gretzky was expected to be the offensive catalyst. Gretzky's pairing with Guy Lafleur was highly anticipated (and they would combine with each other on 22% of Team Canada's goals), while the New York Islanders quartet of Mike Bossy, Bryan Trottier, Butch Goring and Clark Gillies were also expected to be offensive leaders.


1981 Canada Cup, Teams
With 17 National Hockey League (NHL) players on their roster, Sweden felt confident they could upset the Soviet Union and Canada by utilizing a system of strong team play. Kent Nilsson, coming off a 131-point season for the Calgary Flames, Thomas Steen, Ulf Nilsson and Börje Salming were expected to be the team's leaders. With only five returning players from their appearance in the 1976 final and suffering from the defections of the Šťastný brothers – Peter, Marián and Anton – to Canada, the Czechoslovakian team entered the tournament in the midst of a rebuilding phase and were not considered contenders in 1981.


1981 Canada Cup, Teams
The Americans, riding high following their gold medal victory at the 1980 Olympics were considered to have the potential of upsetting the stronger teams in the tournament. Mark Howe, Rod Langway and seven players from the Olympic team were expected to lead the United States. Tony Esposito was the American goaltender for the tournament. Esposito represented Canada at the 1972 Summit Series, but gained his American citizenship in time to represent his new nation. As in 1976, Finland was expected to finish last in the six-team tournament despite the fact that the Finnish hockey association considered the team sent to Canada among the best their nation had assembled.


1981 Canada Cup, Games, Round robin
The tournament opened on September 1 at Northlands Coliseum in Edmonton as the Americans defeated a disorganized Swedish team, 3–1. Swedish coach Anders Parmström, upset at how his team underestimated the Americans, sat several of his top players for extended periods of the third period. At the Winnipeg Arena, a young Czechoslovak team battled the Soviet Union to a 1–1 draw in a game marked by rough play. The Soviets were forced to rely on the stellar goaltending of Vladislav Tretiak to preserve the tie. In the third game of the opening day, Canada's "dream line" of Gretzky, Lafleur and Gilbert Perreault combined for ten points as Canada easily defeated Finland 9–0. The second line of Gillies, Trottier and Bossy also combined to score ten points in the game.


1981 Canada Cup, Games, Round robin
Finland fared little better against Czechoslovakia two nights later, dropping a 7–1 result. Finnish goaltender Hannu Lassila was the star of the game, however, as he made several difficult saves to keep the Finns close through two periods. Despite outshooting Finland 26–9, the Czechs managed only a 2–1 lead after 40 minutes before finally overcoming Lassila to score five goals in the third period. Sweden attempted to employ a physical style against the Soviet Union without success, as they surrendered five power play goals in a 6–3 loss.


1981 Canada Cup, Games, Round robin
Canada then defeated the United States, 8–3, in a game that was played much closer than the score indicated. The Americans appeared to be headed to a draw with Canada as the two teams were tied at three with nine minutes to play before a power play goal by Mike Bossy sparked a five-goal outburst for the Canadians in the dying minutes of the game.


1981 Canada Cup, Games, Round robin
The Soviets then avenged their 1980 Olympic defeat to the United States with a 4–1 win, while the Swedes defeated Finland 5–0. Ending the third night of play, Czechoslovakia was able to overcome a late two-minute, two-man disadvantage to emerge with a 4–4 tie against Canada in a game that was described as the best of the tournament. Canada then defeated Sweden 4–3, but not before losing Perrault to a broken ankle. Perrault was Canada's leading scorer over the first four games and was considered a contender to be named most valuable player at the time of his injury. The United States then overcame an early two-goal deficit against the Czechs to win 6–2 while the Soviets easily defeated Finland 6–1


1981 Canada Cup, Games, Round robin
The final night of round robin play opened with a meaningless game between the United States and Finland. The Americans had already advanced to the playoff round while Finland had been eliminated. The game ended in a 4–4 draw and was most notable for Montreal Forum staff accidentally playing the Italian national anthem instead of the Finnish anthem prior to the start of the game. The Czechs then easily defeated Sweden, 7–1, to advance to the playoff round and eliminate the Swedes. Canada and the Soviet Union closed out the round robin with a battle for first place. A five-goal outburst by Canada in the third period broke a 2–2 tie and sent Canada into the playoffs as the top ranked team. Their 7–3 win was the most lopsided victory Canada had recorded against the Soviets in 20 years.


1981 Canada Cup, Games, Semi-finals
As the top team in the playoff round, Canada faced the fourth place Americans in the first semi-final. Talk entering the game revolved around the defensive style of the United States and whether they could overcome Canada's offensive game and upset the favoured nation in a one-game, winner-take-all scenario. Early play favoured Canada, as they opened the scoring 2:01 into the game on a goal by defenceman Brian Engblom, then extended their lead five minutes later when a long shot by Bossy eluded Esposito in the American goal. Another goal by Bossy saw Canada end the first period with a 3–0 lead. The remaining 40 minutes of the game lacked emotion, and the two teams traded goals for a 4–1 Canadian victory.


1981 Canada Cup, Games, Semi-finals
The second place Soviet Union faced third ranked Czechoslovakia in the second semi-final. Soviet coach Viktor Tikhonov was agitated following his nation's 7–3 defeat to Canada to end the round robin, while the Czechs had grown increasingly confident of their ability as the tournament progressed. It was the Soviets, however, who scored three first period goals to take an early 3–0 lead. The young Czechoslovakian team pressured their opponents for much of the final 40 minutes, outshooting the Soviets 23–11 in the second and third periods combined. Tretiak withstood the pressure in the Soviet goal, however, allowing only one goal as the Soviet Union emerged with a 4–1 victory.


1981 Canada Cup, Games, Final
Canada entered the final facing pressure to defeat the Soviets. The Soviet national team's easy victory over the National Hockey League's all-stars in the 1979 Challenge Cup left the Canadians searching to regain command of their rivalry with the Soviets. Coach Scotty Bowman called it a "must win game" for Canada: "We really are favorites in the final. Nobody in this country will tolerate a loss." The players also spoke of their desire to show the Soviets that they were the world's top hockey nation.


1981 Canada Cup, Games, Final
But also the Soviet Union was under pressure, as their most desirable trophy, the Olympic Gold medal, had been denied them by the United States Amateur team, during the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid. During their pre-game preparations, Tikhonov called upon his team to play the finest games of their lives: "Today you got to play so well that the entire Canadian population will talk about you afterwards and remember you for a long time. Play so well that the Canadian fans when they will leave Forum will wait for you when you get on the bus after the game and admire you."


1981 Canada Cup, Games, Final
Canada held the early advantage of play, outshooting the Soviets 12–4 in the first period as their opponent was unable to generate offence. But that's a North American perspective of the game of Ice Hockey, to shoot the puck across the blue line. The Soviets instead passed the puck sideways, to a player coming from behind with higher speed, which requires an exceptional interaction. And Canada was unable to put a puck past Tretiak, with the first period ending with no scoring.


1981 Canada Cup, Games, Final
The Soviets counterattacked in the second period, opening the scoring five minutes in on a goal by Igor Larionov. Clark Gillies tied the game for Canada three minutes later, but Sergei Shepelev restored the Soviet lead three minutes after that. Shepelev added a powerplay goal late in the period to give the Soviets a 3–1 lead heading into the third period. The third period turned into a rout; Shepelev completed a natural hat trick, and the Soviets scored three goals in the final four minutes to claim the championship by an 8–1 score.


1981 Canada Cup, Games, Final
Canadian goaltender Mike Liut became the scapegoat for Canada's embarrassing loss. The game was one of the worst of his career, but Canada managed only four shots in the third period and never threatened the Soviets even though they entered the final 20 minutes down by only two goals. Tretiak, meanwhile, was named the tournament most valuable player on the strength of his goaltending throughout the event.


1981 Canada Cup, Legacy
The fate of the championship trophy itself was the subject of controversy after Canadian hockey officials accompanied by Montreal Police prevented the Soviet team from taking the trophy back to the Soviet Union. As he took the Cup from the Soviets at the airport, Eagleson claimed that the trophy was intended to remain in Canada at all times. The decision upset the Soviets who claimed that Eagleson's decision was made "in violation of the traditions existing at international competitions".


1981 Canada Cup, Legacy
George Smith, a truck driver from Winnipeg, organized a fundraising campaign that raised enough money to create a replica trophy that was gifted to Soviet officials at their Canadian embassy. Soviet officials praised the sportsmanship of the Canadian people as they accepted the replica. The replica was made despite a threatened lawsuit for copyright infringement by Hockey Canada president Lou Lefaive, but he later said, "If someone wants to send $11,000 worth of nickel to Moscow that's not my business."


1981 Canada Cup, Legacy
Tournament organizer Allan Eagleson, lamenting the rapidly increasing costs of hosting such an event, speculated that the 1981 Canada Cup could be the last. Noting that some costs had increased up to 200% over what was paid in 1976, Eagleson speculated that a third Canada Cup might have to be held in a different format. Organizers were also disappointed in tournament attendance. The two games scheduled to be held in Quebec City were transferred to Ottawa after only 300 tickets were pre-sold for the round robin game between Czechoslovakia and Sweden and 1,000 for the semi-final game.


1981 Canada Cup, Legacy
Low ticket sales also led to fears that the games scheduled for Winnipeg would also be moved, but the investments the television partners had made in rental equipment to broadcast the games from Winnipeg prevented a switch. Adding to Eagleson's woes, Toronto Maple Leafs owner Harold Ballard refused to allow any games to be held in Maple Leaf Gardens as a result of his hatred of the Soviet Union.


1981 Canada Cup, Legacy
Strong support in Montreal, and the response in Ottawa after the games were moved to the national capital left Eagleson increasingly confident in the tournament's future. The 1981 Canada Cup turned a profit of about C$1 million to be split between Hockey Canada and the National Hockey League Players Association pension fund, one third that of the 1976 tournament. Shortly after the tournament ended, Eagleson confirmed he intended to hold a third Canada Cup. He noted that Canada's loss in the final played a role in his decision: "As far as I am concerned personally, it's probably preferable that we lost. I think if we had won, I'd have said, 'To hell with it'."


1981 Canada Cup rosters
Below are the ice hockey national team rosters of the 1981 Canada Cup.


1981 Canada Cup rosters, Canada
Forwards and Defence: Barry Beck, Raymond Bourque, Mike Bossy, Marcel Dionne, Ron Duguay, Brian Engblom, Clark Gillies, Danny Gare, Bob Gainey, Butch Goring, Wayne Gretzky, Craig Hartsburg, Guy Lafleur, Ken Linseman, Rick Middleton, Gilbert Perreault, Denis Potvin, Paul Reinhart, Larry Robinson, Bryan Trottier. Training camp only -- Bill Barber, Randy Carlyle, Paul Coffey, Mike Gartner, Steve Payne, Rob Ramage, Jim Schoenfeld, Darryl Sittler, Steve Shutt, Bobby Smith, Dave Taylor Goaltenders: Don Edwards, Mike Liut, Billy Smith. Training camp only -- Mario LessardCoaches: Scotty Bowman, Al MacNeil, Red Berenson, Pierre Pagé


1981 Canada Cup rosters, Czechoslovakia
Forwards and Defence: Frantisek Cernik, Milan Chalupa, Jiri Dudacek, Miroslav Dvorak, Stanislav Hajdusek, Miloslav Horava, Arnold Kadlec, Jindrich Kokrment, Jaroslav Korbela, Norbert Kral, Jiri Lala, Jan Neliba, Milan Novy, Dusan Pasek,  Lubomir Penicka, Jaroslav Pouzar, Pavel Richter, Darius Rusnak, Radoslav Svoboda, Oldrich ValekGoaltenders: Karel Lang, Jiri KralikCoaches: Ludek Bukac, Stanislav Nevesely


1981 Canada Cup rosters, Finland
Forwards and Defence: Pekka Arbelius, Matti Hagman, Raimo Hirvonen, Juha Huikari, Kari Jalonen, Arto Javanainen, Veli-Pekka Ketola, Markku Kiimalainen, Jari Kurri, Mikko Leinonen, Tapio Levo, Kari Makkonen, Timo Nummelin, Jukka Porvari, Pekka Rautakallio, Reijo Ruotsalainen, Jorma Sevon, Risto Siltanen, Ilkka Sinisalo, Juha TuohimaaGoaltenders: Hannu Lassila, Markus MattssonCoaches: Kalevi Numminen, Kari Makinen


1981 Canada Cup rosters, Sweden
Forwards and Defence: Kent-Erik Andersson, Thomas Eriksson, Jan Erixon, Thomas Gradin, Anders Håkansson, Anders Hedberg, Peter Helander, Ulf Isaksson, Tomas Jonsson, Anders Kallur, Lars Lindgren, Bengt Lundholm, Lars Molin, Kent Nilsson, Ulf Nilsson, Stefan Persson, Jörgen Pettersson, Börje Salming, Thomas Steen, Patrik Sundström, Mats Waltin Invited but unable to participate -- Bob Nystrom (declined invitation as he was negotiating his NHL contract), Mats Näslund & Bengt-Åke Gustavsson (both injured)Goaltenders: Peter Lindmark, Pelle LindberghCoaches: Anders Parmström


1981 Canada Cup rosters, United States
Forwards and Defence: Bill Baker, Neal Broten, Dave Christian, Steve Christoff, Richie Dunn, Mike Eaves, Robbie Ftorek, Tom Gorence, Mark Howe, Mark Johnson, Dave Langevin, Rod Langway, Reed Larson, Rob McClanahan, Bob Miller, Warren Miller, Ken Morrow, Mike O'Connell, Dean Talafous, Tom Younghans. Training camp only -- Jack Brownschidle, Alan Hangsleben, Paul Holmgren (injured/did not play), Steve Jensen, Joe Micheletti, Joe Mullen, Bill Nyrop (missed tournament due to bout of pneumonia), Mark Pavelich, Mike Ramsey, Gordie Roberts. Goaltenders: Tony Esposito, Steve Baker. Training camp only -- Jim Craig (injured/did not play) Coaches: Bob Johnson, John Cunniff, Mike Smith


1981 Canada Cup rosters, USSR
Forwards and Defence: Sergei Babinov, Zinetula Bilyaletdinov, Nikolai Drozdetsky, Viacheslav Fetisov, Irek Gimayev, Vladimir Golikov, Sergei Kapustin, Alexei Kasatonov, Andrei Khomutov, Vladimir Krutov, Igor Larionov, Sergei Makarov, Alexander Maltsev, Vasili Pervukhin, Viktor Shalimov, Sergei Shepelev, Aleksandr Skvortsov, Valeri Vasiliev, Viktor Zhluktov, Vladimir ZubkovGoaltenders: Vladislav Tretiak, Vladimir MyshkinCoaches: Viktor Tikhonov, Vladimir Yurzinov


1981 Canadian Grand Prix
The 1981 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Circuit Île Notre-Dame, Montreal on 27 September 1981. It was the fourteenth race of the 1981 Formula One World Championship.


1981 Canadian Grand Prix
The race was run in wet conditions, and ended after 63 of the scheduled 70 laps due to the two-hour time limit. Frenchman Jacques Laffite won in a Talbot Ligier-Matra, with Northern Ireland's John Watson second in a McLaren-Ford and local hero Gilles Villeneuve third in a Ferrari. Brazilian Nelson Piquet finished fifth in his Brabham-Ford, having started from pole position, while Drivers' Championship rival, Argentine Carlos Reutemann, could only manage tenth in his Williams-Ford. Piquet thus moved within one point of Reutemann with one race to go, while the win gave Laffite an outside chance of the title. Despite both Reutemann and Australian teammate Alan Jones failing to score, Williams clinched the Constructors' Championship.


1981 Canadian Grand Prix
This would turn out to be Laffite's final F1 victory, as well as the last for the Ligier team for fifteen years, until the 1996 Monaco Grand Prix. It was also the last time the Canadian Grand Prix was held in the fall, as the race would move to June the following year.


1981 Canadian Grand Prix, Pre-race
Prior to the race, Alan Jones announced that he was retiring from the sport after clinching the title the previous year. Rumors were also spreading around in paddock that Niki Lauda had tested for McLaren at Donington Park and that he was planning a comeback.


1981 Canadian Grand Prix, Qualifying
Nelson Piquet clinched pole with a time of 1:29.221, with rival Carlos Reutemann alongside him on the front row. The top ten were completed by: Jones, Prost, Mansell, Rebaque, de Angelis, Arnoux, Watson and Laffite respectively.


1981 Canadian Grand Prix, Race
The race start was marred with bad weather. Immediately after the start, Jones took the lead after a minor collision with Reutemann which left Reutemann behind. Toward the middle of the pack, Arnoux and Pironi had a collision with resulted in Arnoux spinning out of the race. On lap 7, Jones spun and Piquet had to take evasive action, resulting in both drivers dropping down the pecking order. Prost took the lead with Laffite, who had climbed from tenth, second. Prost's lead did not last long, as Laffite overtook him on lap 13, and kept the lead to the end of the race.


1981 Canadian Grand Prix, Race
Villeneuve had a minor accident that damaged his front wing. The wing flew up only to be stuck up in the air, blocking Villeneuve's race-line vision. With his forward vision impaired, he used his peripheral vision to navigate using the yellow track markers as reference. After racing this way for minutes he used vibration on the ribbed curbing,  to the point it flew off the car. This way he managed to keep control until the end of the race, without a front wing and under the rain.


1981 Canadian Grand Prix, Race
Prost was eventually overtaken by Villeneuve and Watson, before retiring with an accident on lap 48. Watson was able to catch and pass Villeneuve a few laps later and the two finished second and third respectively, with Villeneuve clinching his third and last podium of the year on home soil. Bruno Giacomelli of Alfa Romeo, who had started fifteenth, came home fourth, with pole-man Piquet coming in behind him.


1981 Canadian Ladies Curling Association Championship
The 1981 Canadian Ladies Curling Association Championship, nicknamed "The Lassie", as the 21st edition of the Canadian women's national curling championship. It was held at Memorial Stadium in St. John's, Newfoundland from February 21 to 28th. It was the final year before Scott Paper began sponsoring the event.


1981 Canadian Ladies Curling Association Championship
The Susan Seitz rink became the first team from Calgary, Alberta to win the championship. It would be her only national championship. She defeated the home province, Newfoundland (skipped by Sue Anne Bartlett) in the final in front of 2800 spectators.


1981 Canadian Ladies Curling Association Championship, Teams
Skip : Barbara Anne HuttonThird: Nancy SteeleSecond: Jane HuttonLead: Lorraine Brewer


1981 Canadian Ladies Curling Association Championship, Teams
Skip : Sue Anne Bartlett Third: Patricia DwyerSecond: Joyce NarduzziLead: Jo Ann Bepperling


1981 Canadian federal budget
The Canadian federal budget for fiscal year 1981-1982 was presented by Minister of Finance Allan MacEachen in the House of Commons of Canada on 12 November 1981.


1981 Cannes Film Festival
The 34th Cannes Film Festival was held from 13 to 27 May 1981. The Palme d'Or went to the Człowiek z żelaza by Andrzej Wajda. The festival opened with Three Brothers (Tre fratelli) by Francesco Rosi and closed with Honeysuckle Rose, directed by Jerry Schatzberg.


1981 Cannes Film Festival, Jury
The following people were appointed as the Jury of the 1981 feature film competition:


1981 Cannes Film Festival, Official selection, Un Certain Regard
The following films were selected for the competition of Un Certain Regard:


1981 Cannes Film Festival, Official selection, Films out of competition
The following films were selected to be screened out of competition:


1981 Cannes Film Festival, Official selection, Short film competition
The following short films competed for the Short Film Palme d'Or:


1981 Cannes Film Festival, Parallel sections, International Critics' Week
The following feature films were screened for the 20th International Critics' Week (20e Semaine de la Critique):


1981 Cannes Film Festival, Parallel sections, Directors' Fortnight
The following films were screened for the 1981 Directors' Fortnight (Quinzaine des Réalizateurs):


1981 Carrickfergus Borough Council election
Elections to Carrickfergus Borough Council were held on 20 May 1981 on the same day as the other Northern Irish local government elections. The election used three district electoral areas to elect a total of 15 councillors.


1981 Carrickfergus Borough Council election, Districts results, Area A
1977: 2 x Alliance, 2 x UUP, 1 x United Loyalist1981: 2 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x UUP, 1 x United Loyalist1977-1981 Change: DUP (two seats) gain from Alliance and UUP


1981 Carrickfergus Borough Council election, Districts results, Area B
1977: 2 x UUP, 2 x Alliance, 1 x DUP1981: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Alliance1977-1981 Change: DUP gain from Alliance


1981 Carrickfergus Borough Council election, Districts results, Area C
1977: 2 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x UPNI, 1 x UUP1981: 3 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Independent Unionist1977-1981 Change: DUP gain from UUP, Independent Unionist leaves UPNI


1981 Castlereagh Borough Council election
Elections to Castlereagh Borough Council were held on 20 May 1981 on the same day as the other Northern Irish local government elections. The election used three district electoral areas to elect a total of 19 councillors.


1981 Castlereagh Borough Council election, Districts results, Area A
1977: 2 x Alliance, 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Independent Unionist1981: 2 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Independent Unionist1977-1981 Change: DUP gain from Alliance


1981 Castlereagh Borough Council election, Districts results, Area B
1977: 3 x Alliance, 2 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 1 x Independent Unionist1981: 4 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 2 x Alliance1977-1981 Change: DUP (two seats) gain from Alliance and Independent Unionist


1981 Castlereagh Borough Council election, Districts results, Area C
1977: 2 x Alliance, 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP1981: 3 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x UUP1977-1981 Change: DUP (two seats) gain from Alliance and UUP


1981 Census of India
The 1981 Census of India was the 12th in a series of censuses held in India every decade since 1872. The population of India was counted as 685,184,692 people.


1981 Centennial Cup
The 1981 Centennial Cup is the 11th Junior "A" 1981 ice hockey National Championship for the Canadian Junior A Hockey League.


1981 Centennial Cup
The Centennial Cup was competed for by the winners of the Abbott Cup, Dudley Hewitt Cup, and the Callaghan Cup.


1981 Centennial Cup
The tournament was hosted by the Cole Harbour Colts  in the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia.


1981 Central African Games
The 1981 Central African Games was the second edition of the international multi-sport event between the nations of Central Africa. It was held from 20 August – 2 September 1981 in Luanda, Angola. A total of ten nations competed in eight sports over the fourteen-day competition, with a total of 1200 athletes in attendance.


1981 Central African Games
The games was the first time a multi-sport event had been held in the newly independent Angola and Rogério Silva, former head of the Angolan Olympic Committee, credited the games with boosting the standards and participation within sport in the country. Angola later went on to win African championships in basketball and several African medals in handball.


1981 Central African Games, Sports
In the athletics programme, a total of 34 track and field events (20 for men, 14 for women) were held.


1981 Central African Games, Sports
In the men's football competition, held from 21 to 29 August, Zaire topped the group undefeated with two wins and two draws to win the gold medal.


1981 Central African Republic coup d'état
On 1 September 1981, General André Kolingba deposed President David Dacko of the Central African Republic in a bloodless coup while Dacko was away from the country traveling to an official state visit in Libya. The day after the coup a "Military Committee for National Recovery" (French: Comite Militaire pour le Redressement National, CMRN) was established and was led by Kolingba. The CMRN then suspended the constitution and limited political party activity.


1981 Central African Republic coup d'état
Kolingba's military regime promised to hold election and get rid of corruption but over the next four years corruption increased and the CMRN repeatedly pushed back planned election until 1987. In 1982 the regime survived a coup attempt.


1981 Central African constitutional referendum
A constitutional referendum was held in the Central African Republic on 1 February 1981, following the overthrow of Jean-Bédel Bokassa in 1979. The new constitution would make the country a presidential republic with a unicameral National Assembly, as well as restoring multi-party democracy for the first time since 1962. It was approved by 98.55% of voters with a 92.53% turnout.


1981 Central African constitutional referendum
Following the referendum, presidential elections were held on 15 March. However, a military coup occurred on 1 September, before parliamentary elections could take place.


1981 Central African presidential election
Presidential elections were held in the Central African Republic on 15 March 1981. They were the first national elections of any sort since 1964, the first elections since the overthrow of longtime ruler Jean-Bédel Bokassa in 1979, and the first multiparty presidential elections since independence. Five candidates—incumbent president David Dacko, Ange-Félix Patassé, François Pehoua, Henri Maïdou and Abel Goumba—stood in the election.


1981 Central African presidential election
The elections were won by Dacko, who had been restored to power two years earlier as part of Operation Barracuda, which overthrew Emperor Bokassa I (Jean-Bédel Bokassa). Dacko tried to pose as the inheritor of Barthélemy Boganda, the national hero who founded the country.


1981 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics
The 1981 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics were held at the Estadio Olímpico Juan Pablo Duarte in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic between 10–12 July.


1981 Central Fidelity Banks International
The 1981 Central Fidelity Banks International was a women's singles tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts at the Robins Center in Richmond, Virginia in the United States. The event was part of the Category 3 tier of the Toyota Series that was part of the 1981 WTA Tour. It was the third edition of the tournament and was held from August 10 through August 16, 1981. Seventh-seeded Mary-Lou Piatek won the singles title and earned $18,000 first-prize money.


1981 Central Fidelity Banks International, Finals, Doubles
Sue Barker /  Ann Kiyomura defeated  Kathy Jordan /  Anne Smith 4–6, 7–6, 6–4


1981 Central Michigan Chippewas football team
The 1981 Central Michigan Chippewas football team represented Central Michigan University in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their fourth season under head coach Herb Deromedi, the Chippewas compiled a 7–4 record (7–2 against MAC opponents), finished in third place in the MAC standings, and outscored their opponents, 223 to 131. The team played its home games in Perry Shorts Stadium in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, with attendance of 104,310 in five home games.


1981 Central Michigan Chippewas football team
The team's statistical leaders included quarterback Bob DeMarco with 1,159 passing yards, Reggie Mitchell with 1,068 rushing yards, and tight end Mike Hirn with 295 receiving yards. Mitchell received the team's most valuable player award. Six Central Michigan players (Hirn, Mitchell, offensive tackle Tony Vitale, defensive end Kurt Dobronski, linebacker Ray Bentley, and defensive back Bruce Brownie) received first-team All-MAC honors.


1981 Cessnock state by-election
A by-election for the seat of Cessnock in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly was held on 21 February 1981. The by-election was triggered by the resignation of Bob Brown (Labor) to successfully contest the federal House of Representatives seat of Hunter at the 1980 election.


1981 Cessnock state by-election
By-elections for the seats of Maitland, Oxley and Sturt were held on the same day.


1981 Chapeltown riots
The Chapeltown Riots of 1981 took place in the Leeds district of Chapeltown in West Yorkshire, England, during a time when many other areas of the UK were suffering similar problems (such as London, Birmingham and Liverpool). The riots unfolded in July 1981 from a background of racial tension, inner city poverty, poor housing and high unemployment (which was rising rapidly as a result of the recession at the time). This brought high tension, particularly amongst the area's Caribbean community, culminating in attacks on the local police.


1981 Chapeltown riots
The Yorkshire Evening Post reported on the events from a 'law and order' perspective, quoting police and council sources. The Leeds Other Paper reported on the social and community aspects of the disturbances, including the root causes.


1981 Chapeltown riots
These were not to be the last riots in the area. In 1987 there was further rioting in Chapeltown and in 2001 there was widespread rioting in nearby Harehills.


1981 Chatham Cup
The 1981 Chatham Cup was the 54th annual nationwide knockout football competition in New Zealand.


1981 Chatham Cup
Early stages of the competition were run in three regions (northern, central, and southern), with the National League teams receiving a bye until the Fourth Round of the competition. In all, 124 teams took part in the competition. Note: Different sources give different numberings for the rounds of the competition: some start round one with the beginning of the regional qualifications; others start numbering from the first national knock-out stage. The former numbering scheme is used in this article.


1981 Chatham Cup
The major talking-point of the 1981 competition was the giant-killing run of Stop Out, who caused upsets against the higher-ranked Nelson United, Miramar Rangers and Wellington Diamond United on their way to the semi-finals.


1981 Chatham Cup, The 1981 final
The final was a repeat of the 1980 final, but this time it was Dunedin City that finished victorious - the first win for any team from that southern city since 1961.


1981 Chatham Cup, The 1981 final
An early goal from a Billy McClure penalty put the Mount into the lead, but a brace of well-taken goals by Michael Glubb, complemented by a late strike from Terry Wilson were enough to take the cup south.


1981 Chattanooga Moccasins football team
The 1981 Chattanooga Moccasins football team represented the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon) in the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Moccasins were led by second-year head coach Bill Oliver and played their home games at Charmerlain Field. They finished the season 7–3–1 overall and 3–2–1 in SoCon play to tie for fourth place.


1981 Chengdu–Kunming rail crash
The 1981 Chengdu–Kunming rail crash occurred on July 9, 1981, when train number 442 passed the failed Liziyida bridge near Ganluo County, Sichuan province. More than 200 died in the accident while 146 were injured. It is the worst train disaster in the history of the People's Republic of China.


1981 Chengdu–Kunming rail crash, Accident
At 1:30 am, a mudslide occurred at the Liziyida gully, a tributary of the Dadu River, destroying the 17-metre (56 ft) high, 110-metre (360 ft) long Liziyida bridge. When the train was dispatched from Ganluo Station at 1:35 am, the local dispatcher sent the notice of departure but electricity suddenly cut out before the train fully left the station. The driver noticed this, but decided to continue as usual.


1981 Chengdu–Kunming rail crash, Accident
At 1:41 am, the number 442 passenger train consisting of two China Railway DF3 pulling 13 cars from Geliping to Chengdu was dispatched from the Niri station after passing Route 221 (another train operated on the opposite direction, from Chengdu to Jinjiang). A minute later, staffs of Niri station discovered that they had lost phone contact to the next station Wusi River station when reporting the departure of route 442.


1981 Chengdu–Kunming rail crash, Accident
At 1:45 am, the train entered the Nainaibao tunnel at a speed of 40 km/h (25 mph). After passing the tunnel curve, the driver Wang Mingru discovered that the building near the tunnel exit had collapsed and the light reflections from the rails were missing from the Liziyida bridge. He tried to make an emergency stop, but failed due to steep gradients of the rail before the bridge (at 14‰). As a result, the two diesel locomotives, baggage car No. 13, post office van No. 12, and passenger car No. 11 fell into the river. Passenger car No. 10 and No. 9 crashed into the river bank. Passenger car No. 8 derailed in the tunnel and overturned outside of the tunnel exit.


1981 Chengdu–Kunming rail crash, Effects
Depending on the source, there were 240, 275 or 360 people killed, including four crew-members. The railway was blocked until a temporary bridge was completed on July 24. After the opening of the new Liziyida tunnel in May 1984 bypassing the gully, the temporary bridge was dismantled and the Nainaibao tunnel was abandoned. The bridge piers still stand today.


1981 Chicago Bears season
The 1981 season was the Chicago Bears' 62nd in the National Football League, and their fourth under head coach Neill Armstrong. The team failed to improve on their 7–9 record from 1980 to finish at 6–10, and failed to make the playoffs for the second consecutive season. At the end of the season, Neill Armstrong was fired by the Bears.


1981 Chicago Bears season
One unusual sidelight to the season was that of the Bears' 6 victories, 4 of them were against opponents in the AFC West; including a 20–17 upset of San Diego in Week 9 and a 35–24 victory that eliminated the Broncos from playoff contention on the final week of the regular season.


1981 Chicago Cubs season
The 1981 Chicago Cubs season was the 110th season of the Chicago Cubs franchise, the 106th in the National League and the 66th at Wrigley Field. The Cubs finished the first-half in last place at 15-37, 17½ games behind the Philadelphia Phillies, and the second-half in fifth place at 23-28, six games behind the eventual NL East Champion Montreal Expos in the National League East. It was also the final season for the Cubs under the Wrigley family ownership, as the Tribune Company took over the club late in the year.


1981 Chicago Cubs season, Player stats, Batting, Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in


1981 Chicago Cubs season, Player stats, Batting, Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in


1981 Chicago Marathon
The 1981 Chicago Marathon was the 5th running of the annual marathon race in Chicago, United States and was held on September 27. The elite men's and women's races were won by Americans Phil Coppess (2:16:13 hours) and Tina Gandy (2:49:39). A total of 4252 runners finished the race, an increase of over 600 from the previous year.


1981 Chicago White Sox season
The 1981 Chicago White Sox season was the White Sox's 81st season in the major leagues, and their 82nd season overall. They finished with a record 54-52, good enough for 3rd place in the American League West, 8.5 games behind the 1st place Oakland Athletics. However, due to a player's strike, the Athletics would play the 50-53 Kansas City Royals, who had finished behind the White Sox.


1981 Chicago White Sox season
Owner Bill Veeck attempted to sell the club to Ed DeBartolo, but the offer was turned down by the other owners. Veeck was then forced to sell to a different investment group headed by Jerry Reinsdorf and Eddie Einhorn.


1981 Chicago White Sox season, Player stats, Batting
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs scored; H = Hits; 2B = Doubles; 3B = Triples; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; BB = Base on balls; SO = Strikeouts; AVG = Batting average; SB = Stolen bases


1981 Chicago White Sox season, Player stats, Pitching
Note: W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; G = Games pitched; GS = Games started; SV = Saves; IP = Innings pitched; H = Hits allowed; R = Runs allowed; ER = Earned runs allowed; HR = Home runs allowed; BB = Walks allowed; K = Strikeouts


1981 Chico State Wildcats football team
The 1981 Chico State Wildcats football team represented Chico State University during the 1981 NCAA Division II football season. Chico State competed in the Far Western Conference in 1981.


1981 Chico State Wildcats football team
The 1981 Wildcats were led by eighth-year head coach Dick Trimmer. They played home games at University Stadium in Chico, California. Chico State finished the season with a record of five wins and five losses (5–5, 3–2 FWC). The Wildcats were outscored by their opponents 181–200 for the season.


1981 Chico State Wildcats football team, Team players in the NFL
No Chico State players were selected in the 1982 NFL Draft.


1981 Chilean telethon
The 1981 Chilean telethon was the fourth version of the solidarity campaign conducted in Chile, which took place on 11 and 12 December 1981. The theme of this version was "Together, Everything is Possible." The poster girl was Ana María Cortés.


1981 Chilean telethon
For the fourth consecutive year Don Francisco conducted the Telethon, which soon would become part of the history of Chile. This version was characterized by the number of artists who supported this cause. The amount raised was CL$ 202,436,220.


1981 Chilean telethon
Among the controversies of this telethon, was the donation of an ambulance to that institution by the CNI (National Information Centre). According to the book La Era Ochentera (The Eighties Era), the Telethon received a call from the CNI, to donate an ambulance, however Ximena Casarejos was not convinced that the CNI representative would make the donation. Eventually the CNI made the donation at 18:30 hours on 12 December 1981.


1981 Cincinnati Bearcats football team
The 1981 Cincinnati Bearcats football team represented University of Cincinnati during 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season.


1981 Cincinnati Bengals season
The 1981 Cincinnati Bengals season was the franchise's 12th season in the National Football League, and the 14th overall. The team won their first AFC Championship, but lost Super Bowl XVI to San Francisco.


1981 Cincinnati Bengals season
Cincinnati had at least a share of the AFC Central lead the entire season. On December 13, quarterback Ken Anderson threw two touchdown passes as the Bengals clinched the division with a 17–10 win over the Steelers.


1981 Cincinnati Bengals season
Ken Anderson led the NFL in passing in 1981 with a 98.5 rating.


1981 Cincinnati Bengals season
On January 3, 1982, the Bengals beat Buffalo, 28–21, in an AFC Divisional Playoff game. A week later, playing in their first AFC Championship Game, the Bengals defeated San Diego, 27–7, at Riverfront Stadium in a temperature of nine degrees below zero with a wind-chill factor of minus-59. This game is referred to as the Freezer Bowl.


1981 Cincinnati Bengals season
In Super Bowl XVI on January 24, 1982, in Pontiac, Michigan, the Bengals trailed 20–0 at halftime and lost to San Francisco, 26–21.


1981 Cincinnati Bengals season, Offseason
Before the season, the Bengals unveiled new uniforms with tiger-striped helmets, jerseys and pants.


1981 Cincinnati Open
The 1981 Cincinnati Open (also known as the 1981 ATP Championships for sponsorship reasons) was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio in the United States that was part of the 1981 Volvo Grand Prix. The tournament was held from August 17 through August 23, 1981.


1981 Cincinnati Open, Finals, Doubles
John McEnroe /  Ferdi Taygan defeated  Bob Lutz /  Stan Smith 7–6, 6–3


1981 Cincinnati Reds season
The Cincinnati Reds' 1981 season consisted of the Reds finishing with an overall record of 66-42, giving them the best win–loss record in all of Major League Baseball. However, due to a split-season format, caused by a mid-season players' strike, they failed to make the MLB playoffs that year because they did not finish first in either half of the season.


1981 Cincinnati Reds season
The Reds finished the first half of the season in second place with a record of 35-21, just one-half game behind the eventual World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers, and one-and-a-half games behind the Houston Astros in the second half, in which the Reds were 31-21, good for second place, again. The Reds were managed by John McNamara and played their home games at Riverfront Stadium.


1981 Cincinnati Reds season, Player stats, Batting, Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in


1981 Cincinnati Reds season, Player stats, Batting, Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in


1981 Cincinnati Reds season, Player stats, Pitching, Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1981 Cincinnati Reds season, Player stats, Pitching, Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1981 Cincinnati Reds season, Player stats, Pitching, Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1981 Clemson Tigers football team
The 1981 Clemson Tigers football team represented Clemson University in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Tigers were led by head coach Danny Ford and played their home games in Memorial Stadium. Clemson finished their undefeated 1981 season with a 22–15 victory over the #4 Nebraska Cornhuskers in the 1982 Orange Bowl, and were voted #1 in the Associated Press (AP) and United Press International (UPI) polls.


1981 Clemson Tigers football team, Achievements
The Clemson Tigers finished the 1981 season undefeated and untied (12–0) and were voted No. 1 in the Associated Press and UPI polls. Following the bowl win over Nebraska, a consensus national champsionship was secured via voting by AP, UPI, Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), and National Football Foundation (NFF). The Clemson Tigers of the 1980s were the fifth winningest Division I college football team of the decade, with a record of 86-25-4 (.765).


1981 Clemson Tigers football team, Achievements
Clemson head coach Danny Ford was awarded the 1981 Coach of the Year Award by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and the FWAA. At the time, Coach Ford was the youngest ever to receive the award, and the youngest to have won a National Championship.


1981 Clemson Tigers football team, Achievements
In the 1982 Orange Bowl, Clemson QB Homer Jordan received Offensive Most Valuable Player honors. He earned first-team All-ACC honors in 1981, his junior season, and finished first in the ACC in passing efficiency and 12th in the nation. Jordan was an honorable mention All-American selection in 1981. He was runner-up for ACC MVP behind teammate Jeff Davis, but the team voted him MVP in 1981. Even though Jordan was injured for much of his senior season, he helped lead the 1982 team to a 9-1-1 record and number-eight national ranking. He also earned honorable mention All-American honors as a senior. He ranked as Clemson's 18th greatest player of the century. Jordan was inducted into the Clemson Hall of Fame in 1993.


1981 Clemson Tigers football team, Achievements
Clemson LB Jeff Davis, captain of Clemson's 1981 team, was inducted into the Clemson Ring of Honor in 1995. Davis was a Consensus All-American in 1981 when he led the Tigers in tackles. Davis was also named MVP of the ACC and was the defensive MVP of the Orange Bowl victory over Nebraska. Davis has the third best mark in career tackles in Clemson history and has also caused the most fumbles and recovered the most fumbles in team history. He was a fifth-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and played for them from 1982-87.


1981 Clemson Tigers football team, Achievements
He led the Buccaneers in tackles and was the captain of the team for four seasons. Along with being in the Clemson Ring of Honor, Davis was inducted into the Clemson Hall of Fame in 1989 and the South Carolina Hall of Fame in 2001. He was named to Clemson's Centennial football team in 1996 and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in December 2007.


1981 Clemson Tigers football team, Achievements
Clemson DB Terry Kinard is the only Clemson player to be a unanimous All-America pick. He was the first two-time Clemson All-American defensive back and a first-team AP All-American two years in a row, the only Clemson player to accomplish that. Kinard was named the CBS National Defensive Player-of-the-Year for the 1982 season and was chosen to the USA Today All-College Football Team in the 1980s. Kinard was a two-year member of the All-ACC team. He is the all-time Clemson leader in interceptions with 17, a mark that tied the 20-year-old ACC record.


1981 Clemson Tigers football team, Achievements
He also holds the Clemson record for tackles by a defensive back with 294 in his career. After leaving Clemson Kinard was a first-round pick of the New York Giants in 1983, and was the 10th pick overall in the draft. Sports Illustrated named him to College Football's Centennial Team in 1999. He played with Super Bowl Champion New York Giants in 1986 and was with the club from 1983 until 1989. Kinard played in the 1988 Pro Bowl Game. Kinard played with Houston Oilers in 1990. He was named to Clemson's Centennial team in April 1996.


1981 Clemson Tigers football team, Achievements
He ranks as Clemson's #3 football player of all-time was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in December 2001. He was inducted into Clemson Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Ring of Honor in 2001. He was also inducted into the state of South Carolina Hall of Fame in 2002.


1981 Clemson Tigers football team, Achievements
Clemson WR Perry Tuttle was voted a first-team All-American in 1981, and set then-Clemson records for receptions and yards. Tuttle also had at least one reception during the last 32 games of his Tiger career. He still ranks fourth all-time in receptions (150), second all-time in receiving yards (2,534), second in touchdown receptions (17), and ninth in yards per reception (16.89). In the 1982 Orange Bowl, he had five receptions for 56 yards, including a 13-yard touchdown pass. That touchdown catch was the final reception of his Clemson career and earned him a place on the cover of Sports Illustrated.


1981 Clemson Tigers football team, Achievements
Following his Clemson career, Tuttle was chosen with the 19th overall pick of the 1982 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills. After a three-year NFL career, Tuttle went on to the Canadian Football League where he had a six-year career with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He helped lead the team to a Grey Cup Championship in 1990 and was inducted into the Winnipeg Hall of Fame in 1997. Tuttle was inducted into the Clemson Hall of Fame in 1991 and named to Clemson's Centennial team in 1996.


1981 Clemson Tigers football team, Notable
Clemson hosted the Wofford Terriers on Saturday, September 5, 1981, in both teams' season opener. Wofford was one of the three teams Clemson played in its first year of football competition in 1896, but had not played the Terriers since 1940. Clemson had originally scheduled Villanova University for the third game of the 1981 season (scheduled for Saturday, September 26, 1981) but the Wildcats had canceled their football program in the spring of that year (the Wildcats restarted football in 1985, and became a full NCAA Division I-AA member in 1987). Wofford had an open spot in their schedule and agreed to play Clemson.


1981 Clemson Tigers football team, Game summaries, Wofford
WOF - Hairston 24 FGCLE - Igwebuike 52 FGCLE - Tuttle 80 pass from Jordan (Paulling kick)CLE - Jordan 14 run (Paulling kick)CLE - Magwood 11 pass from Jordan (Paulling kick)CLE - Jordan 3 run (Paulling kick)CLE - C. McSwain 5 run (Igwebuike kick)WOF - Derrick 15 pass from Thompson (Hairston kick)CLE - McCall 10 run (Paulling run)


1981 Clemson Tigers football team, Game summaries, at Tulane
TU - Manalla 46 FGTU - Safety, Hatcher falls on bad snap in end zoneCLE - Austin 4 run (Paulling kick)CLE - Paulling 31 FGCLE - Paulling 37 FG


1981 Clemson Tigers football team, Game summaries, Georgia
CLE - Tuttle 8 pass from Jordan (Paulling kick)CLE - Igwebuike 38 FGUGA - Butler 40 FGCLE - Igwebuike 29 FG


1981 Clemson Tigers football team, Game summaries, at Kentucky
UK - Griggs 40 FGCLE - Mack 11 run (Paulling kick)CLE - Jordan 3 run (Paulling kick)CLE - McSwain 3 run (Paulling kick)


1981 Clemson Tigers football team, Game summaries, Virginia
CLE - Igwebuike 22 FGCLE - Austin 42 run (Paulling kick)CLE - McCall 5 run (Paulling kick)CLE - Austin 1 run (Paulling kick)CLE - Igwebuike 32 FG


1981 Clemson Tigers football team, Game summaries, at Duke
CLE - Crite 4 run (Paulling kick)CLE - Paulling 20 FGCLE - Austin 15 run (Paulling kick)CLE - Jordan 1 run (Paulling kick)DUK - McKinney 29 FGCLE - Austin 2 run (Paulling kick)DUK - Jones 21 pass from Bennett (McKinney kick)CLE - Tuttle 29 pass from Jordan (Paulling kick)


1981 Clemson Tigers football team, Game summaries, NC State
NCS - Lawson 13 run (? kick)CLE - Igwebuike 39 FGCLE - Austin 1 run (Paulling kick)CLE - McCall 15 run (Paulling kick)


1981 Clemson Tigers football team, Game summaries, Wake Forest
CLE - Austin 4 run (Paulling kick)CLE - Austin 3 run (Paulling kick)WF - Duckett 17 pass from Schofield (Denfield kick)CLE - C. McSwain 1 run (Paulling kick)CLE - Mack 10 run (Paulling kick)CLE - Jordan 7 run (Paulling kick)CLE - McCall 24 run (Paulling kick)CLE - C. McSwain 16 run (Paulling kick)WF - Cunningham 1 run (Denfield kick)CLE - Tuttle 75 pass from Jordan (L. Brown kick failed)WF - Denfield 22 FGCLE - Tuttle 25 pass from Gasque (L. Brown kick)CLE - C. McSwain 12 run (L. Brown kick)CLE - Holloman 3 run (L. Brown kick)CLE - Crawford 72 run (L. Brown kick failed)WF - Duckett 5 pass from Schofield (Denfield)


1981 Clemson Tigers football team, Game summaries, at North Carolina
UNC - Barwick 22 FGCLE - McCall 7 run (Paulling kick)UNC - Safety, Barlow blocks punt out of end zoneCLE - Igwebuike ? FGUNC - Barwick 26 FG


1981 Clemson Tigers football team, Game summaries, Maryland
CLE - Tuttle 14 pass from Jordan (Paulling kick)CLE - Tuttle 5 pass from Jordan (Paulling kick)CLE - Gaillard 12 pass from Jordan (Paulling kick)MD - Wysocki 7 run (Atkinson kick)


1981 Clemson Tigers football team, Game summaries, at South Carolina
USC - Wright 1 run (Fleetwood kick)CLE - Rembert recovered blocked punt (Paulling kick failed)CLE - Paulling 24 FGCLE - Jordan 11 run (pass failed)USC - Smith 10 pass from Beckham (run failed)CLE - C. McSwain 1 run (Paulling kick)CLE - C. McSwain 23 run (Paulling kick)


1981 Clemson Tigers football team, Game summaries, vs. Nebraska (Orange Bowl)
CLE - Igwebuike 41 FGNEB - Steels 25 pass from Rozier (Seibel kick)CLE - Igwebuike 41 FGCLE - Austin 2 run (pass failed)CLE - Tuttle 13 pass from Jordan (Paulling kick)CLE - Igwebuike 36 FGNEB - Craig 26 run (Craig run)


1981 Cleveland Browns season
The 1981 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 32nd season with the National Football League. In a highly disappointing season filled with a number of key injuries at different stretches during the campaign, the Browns finished the year with five straight defeats, their longest losing streak since 1975, and dropped seven of their final eight games. By contrast, in 1980, the Browns enjoyed a five-game winning streak.


1981 Cleveland Browns season, Season summary
Tthe Browns had a similar kind of season in 1981—eight of the games were decided by six points or less, and five were decided by three points or less. This year, the Browns were on the losing end of things. Every time they needed to make a play, they didn't. Every time they needed something good to happen, it didn't. Sipe threw more interceptions (25) than TDs (17), his completion rate fell to just over 55 percent and his quarterback rating plummeted to 68.2.


1981 Cleveland Browns season, Season summary
FB Mike Pruitt rushed for more than 1,000 yards (1,103) for the third straight year in 1981, and caught 63 passes for the second season in a row. Tight end Ozzie Newsome set a team record (since broken) for receptions with 69 and had the second-most receiving yards in Browns history at the time with 1,002.


1981 Cleveland Browns season, Season summary
HB Greg Pruitt established a personal best with 65 catches.


1981 Cleveland Browns season, Season summary
Ironically, through the 2020 NFL season the 1981 Browns are the only team since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 to have beaten both eventual Super Bowl participants, the Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers and the AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals, in the regular season while finishing with a losing record.


1981 Cleveland Indians season
The 1981 Cleveland Indians season was the franchise's 81st season as a member of the American League. Games were suspended for 50 days due to the 1981 Major League Baseball strike, causing a split season. The Indians finished the first half of the season in sixth place in the American League East, and the second half of the season tied for fifth place. Managed by Dave Garcia, the Indians played their home games at Cleveland Stadium and had an overall record of 52 wins and 51 losses.


1981 Cleveland mayoral election
The 1981 Cleveland mayoral election took place on November 3, 1981, to elect the Mayor of Cleveland, Ohio. The election was officially nonpartisan, with the top two candidates from the September 29 primary advancing to the general election.


1981 Cleveland mayoral election
This was the first Cleveland mayoral election to a four-year term.


1981 Clube de Regatas do Flamengo season
The 1981 football season is Clube de Regatas do Flamengo's 86th year of existence, their 70th football season, and their 69th season in the top division of the Campeonato Carioca, the Rio de Janeiro state football league. In addition, it is their 11th in the top division of the Brazilian national football league, having never been relegated from either. Internationally, Flamengo participated in the 1981 Copa Libertadores, qualifying through winning the 1980 Brazilian Série A Championship.


1981 Clube de Regatas do Flamengo season
The 1981 season is regarded as the most successful and iconic season in Flamengo's history, in which they captured their first ever Copa Libertadores championship and defeated European Cup champions Liverpool by a score of 3 – 0 in the Intercontinental Cup in Tokyo, Japan. The team accomplished the feat of winning three trophies (the Copa Libertadores final, the Campeonato Carioca final, and the Intercontinental Cup) in a span of 21 days. This made Zico's Flamengo only the second Brazilian club to win a Mundial (world championship), after Pelé's Santos.


1981 Clube de Regatas do Flamengo season, Friendlies, National friendly
Flamengo played one pre-season match against São Paulo before the start of the national league season.


1981 Clube de Regatas do Flamengo season, Friendlies, Copa Punta del Este
The 1981 Copa Punta del Este was a friendly invitational tournament contested by Flamengo, Grêmio, Peñarol of Uruguay, and the Seleção of Maldonado, the state capital near Punta del Este, Uruguay. It was played in a single-elimination format with semi-finals and a final. Both Brazilian clubs eliminated the Uruguayan squads in the semi-finals in February 1981.


1981 Clube de Regatas do Flamengo season, Friendlies, Copa Punta del Este
Following that, heavy rain in Uruguay and diminished interest from the organizers in a final without Peñarol delayed the final between Grêmio and Flamengo for nearly three months. It was ultimately played outside of Uruguay, at the Estádio Olímpico, in Porto Alegre. Scheduled to be played at 21:00, The match was further delayed an hour and a half due to a power outage. At nearly 1:00 the following morning the match was decided by coin toss: president Dunshee de Abranches selected 'heads' and the tournament was awarded to Flamengo.


1981 Clube de Regatas do Flamengo season, Friendlies, Torneio João Havelange
The 1981 João Havelange Tournament was a three-team interstate friendly competition hosted by Democrata of Minas Gerais and named in honor of João Havelange, the Brazilian president of FIFA. Flamengo's state rivals Vasco da Gama won the tournament after defeating Democrata (3 - 2) and Flamengo (1 – 0).


1981 Clube de Regatas do Flamengo season, Friendlies, Torneio João Havelange
At this time, Zico and Júnior of Flamengo were at Wembley Stadium representing the Seleção against England, with Zico scoring the lone goal in a 1 – 0 win.


1981 Clube de Regatas do Flamengo season, Friendlies, Torneio Internacional de Nápoles
In the middle of their Carioca campaign, Zico and Flamengo traveled to Italy for a pair of friendlies in the Naples International Tournament. Flamengo, Avellino, and Northern Irish club Linfield were hosted by Napoli at the Stadio San Paolo. In front of a crowd of 80,000 Zico impressed against Ruud Krol and third-place Serie A team Napoli, scoring a hat trick. It would be the first time many Italians saw the Brazilian, before the 1982 World Cup in Spain and his eventual move to Udinense in 1983.


1981 Clube de Regatas do Flamengo season, Friendlies, Paulo César Carpegiani testimonial
During the Campeonato Carioca, and with one eye looking ahead to the Copa Libertadores semi-final stage in October, Flamengo scheduled a match with Argentine giants Boca Juniors and their rising superstar Diego Maradona. Both teams rested their starters in preceding matches before this friendly at the Maracanã in front of 65,000 and broadcast on live television. The "Taça da Raça" match served as a farewell to Flamengo midfielder Paulo César Carpegiani, who had already retired from play and was serving as Flamengo's manager (eventually leading the club to a first Libertadores title and world championship in a matter of months).


1981 Clube de Regatas do Flamengo season, Friendlies, Paulo César Carpegiani testimonial
The two icons, Zico (28 years old) and Maradona (20), had not yet met on the field and fans were clamoring to watch the two face each other. Zico scored both goals of the match, and Maradona had a scoring chance at the end of the first half. The two would meet again representing their nations in the 1982 World Cup, with Zico scoring and Maradona being sent off.


1981 Clube de Regatas do Flamengo season, Campeonato Brasileiro (Taça de Ouro)
Flamengo qualified for the 1981 Brazilian Championship (officially the Taça de Ouro or "Gold Cup") through finishing 3rd in the 1980 Campeonato Carioca. Grêmio were ultimately champions of the league with Flamengo finishing 6th overall out of 44 total participating teams.


1981 Clube de Regatas do Flamengo season, Campeonato Carioca
The important Rio de Janeiro state league schedule coincided with Flamengo's Copa Libertadores matches of the same year. Paulo César Carpegiani was a player and occasional starter for Flamengo in the first round of the Carioca, also serving as Dino Sani's assistant and eventually taking over as manager for the Carioca second round.


1981 Clube de Regatas do Flamengo season, Campeonato Carioca
After finishing top in the first round Taça Guanabara and qualifying for the final, Flamengo turned their focus to the Libertadores group stage during the second round, which Vasco da Gama went on to win. In the third round, Flamengo's 6 – 0 thrashing of rival Botafogo was historic, and avenged their match in 1972 with the reverse scoreline. Flamengo captured the third round with their most wins, and the most goals scored and best goal differential of the competition.


1981 Clube de Regatas do Flamengo season, Campeonato Carioca
Flamengo entered the final against Vasco with two rounds won (compared to Vasco's one round) and the most overall points across the three rounds. At a single match final in the Maracanã, a draw would be sufficient for Flamengo to become state champions. If Flamengo lost, a rematch would be a played and a draw would again give the title to Flamengo. A loss would force a third and final match.


1981 Clube de Regatas do Flamengo season, Campeonato Carioca
Days before the final, tragedy struck Flamengo as former manager Cláudio Coutinho died while scuba diving the Ilhas Cagarras archipelago near Rio de Janeiro. Vasco were victorious in the match, 2 – 0, both goals scored by Roberto Dinamite. In the second match, Flamengo supporters cite rainy weather as the reason for their team's poor performance, losing again to Vasco by a final-minute goal from Dinamite.


1981 Clube de Regatas do Flamengo season, Campeonato Carioca
On December 6, Flamengo won the decisive match with first half goals from Adílio and Nunes. Ticão scored for Vasco late in the second half, and as the team attempted to mount a comeback and force extra time, a Flamengo-supporter bricklayer invaded the pitch and started a confrontation with a Vasco player. Play was stopped for eight minutes as Nunes separated the bricklayer. Flamengo held on to win and earn their 21st Rio de Janeiro state championship.


1981 Clube de Regatas do Flamengo season, Copa Libertadores
The 1981 edition of the Copa Libertadores was Flamengo's debut season in the tournament. Flamengo qualified as champion of 1980 Campeonato Brasileiro (Atlético Mineiro qualified as runners-up). Flamengo would go on to win the tournament, undefeated until the final against Chilean newcomers Cobreloa.


1981 Clube de Regatas do Flamengo season, Copa Libertadores
In the first group stage, the Brazilian entrants were paired with both Paraguayan clubs: Cerro Porteño and Olimpia. Flamengo had to travel away to Asunción for their last two matchdays and needed at least 3 points to catch Atlético Mineiro (only the top team in the group would advance). Former player and assistant Paulo César Carpegiani assumed the role of manager from Dino Sani after their second draw against Atlético on the 4th matchday. Flamengo were equal on points with the club from Belo Horizonte and forced a play-off at the neutral Estádio Serra Dourada in Goiânia. However the match was suspended after 37 minutes as Atlético were reduced to only six eligible players (Osmar, Chicao, Palinha, Reinaldo and Eder were sent off). Per regulation, victory was awarded to Flamengo.


1981 Clube de Regatas do Flamengo season, Copa Libertadores
Flamengo advanced through the semi-final group with a dominant performance: four victories in four matches. In the final, they encountered another Libertadores debutante in Cobreloa, a club that had only been founded four years prior. In the first final at the Maracanã, Flamengo prevailed (2 – 1) with two goals from Zico. In the National Stadium in Santiago the following week (not in Cobreloa's home town of Calama), the Brazilians were pressured on the field and, according to Zico, injured by Cobreloa players hiding rocks in their hands, and disadvantaged by the Uruguayan referee Ramón Barreto. Victor Merello scored the only goal of the match on a free kick.


1981 Clube de Regatas do Flamengo season, Copa Libertadores
Equal on goals, a third match was played at the neutral venue of the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo. If the third match ended in a draw, extra time would be played. If still tied, the trophy would be awarded to Cobreloa based on away goals. Zico scored twice in the first half, sealing the game and the championship. With the match won, Anselmo of Flamengo entered on in the final minutes for the sole purpose of hurting Cobreloa captain Mario Soto in revenge. Both were sent off. Flamengo were crowned Champions of America, and returned to Brazil to dispute the Rio de Janeiro state league final, with a match against Liverpool in Tokyo confirmed for December.


1981 Clube de Regatas do Flamengo season, Intercontinental Cup
A week after conquering the Campeonato Carioca against Vasco, Flamengo flew to Tokyo to contest the Intercontinental Cup (also branded as the Toyota Cup) against European Cup champions Liverpool. A number of the key players on both squads had shared the field with each other earlier in the year, in an international friendly at Wembley in May, including Zico and Júnior of Flamengo and Terry McDermott and Phil Neal of Liverpool.


1981 Clube de Regatas do Flamengo season, Intercontinental Cup
The 1981 edition was the second such championship to be played as a single neutral-venue match in Tokyo's National Stadium. Flamengo won 3 – 0 off two goals from Nunes and one from Adílio, officially being declared world champions by FIFA. This marks Flamengo's first and only world championship (as of 2018).


1981 Clásica de San Sebastián
The 1981 Clásica de San Sebastián was the inaugural edition of the Clásica de San Sebastián cycle race and was held on 11 August 1981. The race started and finished in San Sebastián. The race was won by Marino Lejarreta.


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


1981 Coleraine Borough Council election, Districts results, Area A
1977: 3 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Independent Unionist1981: 2 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 2 x SDLP1977-1981 Change: DUP and SDLP gain from UUP and Independent Unionist


1981 Coleraine Borough Council election, Districts results, Area B
1977: 4 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Independent Unionist1981: 4 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 1 x Alliance1977-1981 Change: DUP (two seats) gain from SDLP and Independent Unionist


1981 Coleraine Borough Council election, Districts results, Area C
1977: 3 x UUP, 2 x Independent, 1 x DUP, 1 x Alliance1981: 3 x Independent, 2 x DUP, 2 x UUP1977-1981 Change: DUP and Independent gain from UUP and Alliance


1981 Colgate Red Raiders football team
The 1981 Colgate Red Raiders football team was an American football team that represented Colgate University as an independent during the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. In its sixth season under head coach Frederick Dunlap, the team compiled a 7–3 record. Karl Grabowski and Tom McChesney were the team captains.


1981 Colgate Red Raiders football team
This would be Colgate's final season in the NCAA's top level of competition. Shortly after the season ended, the NCAA reassigned the Red Raiders, along with the Ivy League and several other football teams, to Division I-AA, now known as the Football Championship Subdivision.


1981 Colgate Red Raiders football team
The team played its home games at Andy Kerr Stadium in Hamilton, New York.


1981 Colgate Red Raiders football team, Leading players
Two trophies were awarded to the Red Raiders' most valuable players in 1981:


1981 College Baseball All-America Team
An All-American team is an honorary sports team composed of the best amateur players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply "All-Americans". Although the honorees generally do not compete together as a unit, the term is used in U.S. team sports to refer to players who are selected by members of the national media. Walter Camp selected the first All-America team in the early days of American football in 1889.


1981 College Baseball All-America Team
The NCAA recognizes two different All-America selectors for the 1981 college baseball season: the American Baseball Coaches Association (since 1947) and Baseball America (since 1981).


1981 College Football All-America Team
The 1981 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players who were selected as All-Americans by various organizations and writers that chose College Football All-America Teams in 1981. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) recognizes four selectors as "official" for the 1981 season.


1981 College Football All-America Team
They are: (1) the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) based on the input of more than 2,000 voting members; (2) the Associated Press (AP) selected based on the votes of sports writers at AP newspapers; (3) the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) selected by the nation's football writers; and (4) the United Press International (UPI) selected based on the votes of sports writers at UPI newspapers. Other selectors included Football News (FN), Gannett News Service (GNS), the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA), The Sporting News (TSN), and the Walter Camp Football Foundation (WC).