Match of the Day — Season 18
The programme returned to Saturday nights. Only two games were allowed to be shown per show.
About this season
The programme returned to Saturday nights. Only two games were allowed to be shown per show.
Episodes (42)
1. 22nd August 1981: FA Charity Shield: Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur
Aired 22 August 1981 • 80 min
The annual curtain-raiser between the Football League Champions and the FA Cup holders played at the Empire Stadium, Wembley.
2. 29th August 1981
Aired 29 August 1981 • 80 min
Jimmy Hill presents match highlights from the opening day of the Football League season. Nottingham Forest v Southampton Manchester City v West Bromwich Albion Swansea City v Leeds United
3. 5th September 1981
Aired 5 September 1981 • 80 min
Highlights of two Football League matches plus analysis and interviews. Manchester United v Ipswich Town West Bromwich Albion v Swansea City
4. 12th September 1981
Aired 12 September 1981 • 80 min
Highlights of two Football League matches, plus analysis and interviews. Luton Town v Sheffield Wednesday Aston Villa v Manchester United
5. 19th September 1981
Aired 19 September 1981 • 80 min
Highlights of two Football League matches, plus analysis and interviews. Liverpool v Aston Villa Norwich City v Newcastle United
6. 26th September 1981
Aired 26 September 1981 • 80 min
Bob Wilson gathers together the day's news, including the late-night pools check. Also in tonight's programme the August/September Goal of the Month competition. West Ham United v Liverpool Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur
7. 3rd October 1981
Aired 3 October 1981 • 80 min
Match highlights plus the day's news, including the late-night pools check and the result of the August/September Goal of the Month competition. Queens Park Rangers v Blackburn Rovers Liverpool v Swansea City Notts County v Arsenal
8. 10th October 1981
Aired 10 October 1981 • 80 min
Jimmy Hill presents highlights of two Football League matches, plus analysis and interviews. Ipswich Town v Wolverhampton Wanderers Bristol City v Preston North End
9. 17th October 1981
Aired 17 October 1981 • 80 min
Highlights of two Football League matches, plus analysis and interviews. Leeds United v West Bromwich Albion Arsenal v Manchester City
10. 24th October 1981
Aired 24 October 1981 • 80 min
Highlights of two Football League matches, plus analysis and interviews. Wolverhampton Wanderers v Aston Villa Crystal Palace v Derby County
11. 31st October 1981
Aired 31 October 1981 • 80 min
Highlights of two Football League matches, plus analysis and interviews. Also in tonight's programme the October Goal of the Month competition. Everton v Manchester City Leicester City v Sheffield Wednesday
12. 7th November 1981
Aired 7 November 1981 • 80 min
Introduced by Jimmy Hill. Bob Wilson gathers together the day's other news. Plus the result of the October Goal of the Month competition. Liverpool v Everton Stoke City v Southampton
13. 14th November 1981
Aired 14 November 1981 • 80 min
Highlights of two Football League matches, analysis and interviews. Watford v Cardiff City Middlesbrough v Sunderland
14. 21st November 1981
Aired 21 November 1981 • 80 min
Highlights of two Football League matches, analysis and interviews. Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United Birmingham City v Wolverhampton Wanderers
15. 28th November 1981
Aired 28 November 1981 • 80 min
Introduced by Jimmy Hill. Bob Wilson gathers together the day's other news including the late-night pools check. Also tonight, the November Goal of the Month competition. Aston Villa v Nottingham Forest Fulham v Millwall Halifax v Scunthorpe United
16. 5th December 1981
Aired 5 December 1981 • 80 min
Highlights of two Football League matches, analysis and interviews. Plus the result of the November Goal of the Month competition. West Ham United v Arsenal Everton v Swansea City
17. 12th December 1981
Aired 12 December 1981 • 80 min
Highlights of two Football League matches, plus analysis and interviews. Swansea City v Nottingham Forest Queens Park Rangers v Barnsley
18. 19th December 1981
Aired 19 December 1981 • 80 min
Jimmy Hill presents highlights of two Football League matches plus analysis and interviews. Everton v Aston Villa Chelsea v Blackburn Rovers
19. 26th December 1981
Aired 26 December 1981 • 80 min
Includes the Christmas Goal of the Month competition. Liverpool v Manchester City Portsmouth v Bristol Rovers
20. 2nd January 1982: FA Cup Third Round
Aired 2 January 1982 • 80 min
The most romantic football Saturday of the season, where the minnows from the Third and Fourth Divisions and outside the Football League meet the mighty teams from the First Division. Tonight action highlights of three games, interviews, analysis and comment. Plus the result of the December Goal of the Month competition. Leicester City v Southampton Barnet v Brighton & Hove Albion Swansea City v Liverpool
21. 9th January 1982
Aired 9 January 1982 • 80 min
Highlights of two Football League matches, plus analysis and interviews. Manchester City v Stoke City Huddersfield Town v Oxford United
22. 16th January 1982
Aired 16 January 1982 • 80 min
Highlights of two Football League matches, analysis and interviews. Bob Wilson reports on the World Cup draw from Madrid. Coventry City v Ipswich Town Liverpool v Wolverhampton Wanderers
23. 23rd January 1982: FA Cup Fourth Round
Aired 23 January 1982 • 80 min
Highlights of three outstanding ties, which encompass the glamour, the romance and the excitement of the FA Cup. Watford v West Ham United Tottenham Hotspur v Leeds United Manchester City v Coventry City
24. 30th January 1982
Aired 30 January 1982 • 80 min
Highlights of two Football League matches, analysis and interviews. Also in tonight's programme the January Goal of the Month competition. Luton Town v Leicester City Swansea City v Manchester United
25. 6th February 1982
Aired 6 February 1982 • 80 min
Highlights of three Football League matches plus analysis and interviews. Also in tonight's programme the result of the January Goal of the Month competition. Colchester United v Sheffield United Southampton v Manchester City Tottenham Hotspur v Wolverhampton Wanderers
26. 13th February 1982: FA Cup Fifth Round
Aired 13 February 1982 • 80 min
Featuring highlights from three matches in the Fifth Round of the FA Cup. Tottenham Hotspur v Aston Villa Leicester City v Watford West Bromwich Albion v Norwich City
27. 20th February 1982
Aired 20 February 1982 • 80 min
Watford v Luton Town Manchester United v Arsenal
28. 27th February 1982
Aired 27 February 1982 • 80 min
Highlights of two Football League matches, analysis and interviews. Brighton & Hove Albion v West Bromwich Albion Everton v West Ham United
29. 6th March 1982: FA Cup Sixth Round
Aired 6 March 1982 • 80 min
Highlights from two of this afternoon's games plus all the atmosphere and tension that surrounds the Cup. Plus the result of the February Goal of the Month competition. Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur Leicester City v Shrewsbury Town
30. 13th March 1982
Aired 13 March 1982 • 80 min
Highlights of two Football League matches, plus analysis and interviews. Oldham Athletic v Sheffield Wednesday Arsenal v Ipswich Town
31. 20th March 1982
Aired 20 March 1982 • 80 min
Highlights of two Football League matches, plus analysis and interviews. Tottenham Hotspur v Southampton Notts County v Manchester United
32. 27th March 1982
Aired 27 March 1982 • 80 min
Highlights of two Football League matches plus analysis and interviews. Also in tonight's programme the March Goal of the Month competition. Sheffield Wednesday v Leyton Orient Manchester United v Sunderland
33. 3rd April 1982: FA Cup Semi-Final
Aired 3 April 1982 • 80 min
Match of the Day cameras bring you the special excitement and tension that surrounds a Cup semi-final and an important First Division game. FAC SF: Queens Park Rangers v West Bromwich Albion Div 1: Sunderland v Middlesbrough
34. 10th April 1982
Aired 10 April 1982 • 80 min
Highlights of two Football League matches, plus analysis and interviews. Gillingham v Fulham Manchester City v Liverpool
35. 17th April 1982
Aired 17 April 1982 • 80 min
Highlights of two Football League matches, analysis and interviews. Swansea City v Manchester City Blackburn Rovers v Watford
36. 24th April 1982
Aired 24 April 1982 • 80 min
Rotherham United v Luton Town Brighton & Hove Albion v Manchester United
37. 1st May 1982
Aired 1 May 1982 • 80 min
Action highlights of two Football League matches affecting championship honours, promotion and relegation. Also tonight the result of the April Goal of the Month competition, and a selection of goals for the Goal of the Season competition. Ipswich Town v Middlesbrough Liverpool v Nottingham Forest
38. 8th May 1982
Aired 8 May 1982 • 80 min
Highlights of two Football League matches affecting championship honours, promotion and relegation. Birmingham City v Liverpool Watford v Leicester City
39. 15th May 1982
Aired 15 May 1982 • 80 min
As the season draws to an end, Jimmy Hill introduces highlights of two Football League games affecting promotion, relegation and entry into Europe next season. Also in tonight's programme, a chance to win £300 worth of Premium Bonds in the Goal of the Season competition. Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur Ipswich Town v Nottingham Forest
40. 22nd May 1982: FA Cup Final: Queens Park Rangers v Tottenham Hotspur
Aired 22 May 1982 • 80 min
Highlights of the 1982 FA Cup Final. Jimmy Hill presents the best action, analyses the key moments and talks to the players and manager of the victorious side.
41. 27th May 1982: Home International Championship
Aired 27 May 1982 • 80 min
Wales v Northern Ireland at the Racecourse Ground, Wrexham At one stage Wales looked the likeliest of all the British nations to qualify for the World Cup finals. The fact that they missed out has made Manager Mike England all the more determined that Wales do well in the British Championships. For his opposite number, Billy Bingham , the game provides the final chance to experiment before Northern Ireland's opening World Cup game against Yugoslavia on 17 June.
42. 29th May 1982: Home International Championship
Aired 29 May 1982 • 80 min
Featuring the 100th full international between Scotland and England, played this afternoon at Hampden Park, Glasgow. The score so far could hardly be closer - Scotland have won on 39 occasions, England 38 with the remaining 22 matches drawn.