City played their home games at a number of grounds during the 1985–86 season during the redevelopment of their Valley Parade ground. That season, Abbott had his best season in terms of goals, scoring 13 times, which included ten in the league, and a total of nine penalties; his tally helped Abbott to be the club's joint top goalscorer tied with John Hendrie. Despite having no home ground, City finished in mid-table in Division Two. He added another ten the following season, which included a penalty against top flight side Newcastle United in the League Cup. Despite struggling during the first half of the season, City returned to Valley Parade and ended in tenth position thanks to seven games in the final nine fixtures under new manager Terry Dolan.