1981-11-27
| Third Division |
| Third Division | Venue | Gate | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southend United | 2 | 0 | Reading | Roots Hall | 4,847 | |
| Pountney, Mercer | Lineups | |||||
| Home | Away | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ptn |  |
Third Division | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | Last 5 Games | Next Match | ||||||
| 1 | 0 | Gillingham | 16 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 11 | 6 | 29 | W | L | L | W | W | 1981-11-28 | Carlisle United | A |
| 2 | 0 | Chesterfield | 16 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 5 | 9 | 28 | L | D | W | D | L | 1981-11-28 | Wimbledon | H |
| 3 | 5 | Southend United | 17 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 10 | 5 | 28 | W | W | L | W | L | 1981-12-05 | Chester | A |
| 4 | -1 | Millwall | 16 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 10 | 6 | 27 | D | W | W | W | L | 1981-11-28 | Fulham | A |
| 5 | -1 | Walsall | 16 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 26 | D | W | D | L | L | 1981-11-28 | Bristol Rovers | H |
| 6 | -1 | Doncaster Rovers | 15 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 5 | 26 | L | L | L | W | D | 1981-11-28 | Plymouth Argyle | A |
| 7 | -1 | Carlisle United | 16 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 3 | 26 | W | L | W | L | W | 1981-11-28 | Gillingham | H |
| 8 | -1 | Fulham | 16 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 14 | 3 | 25 | D | W | L | D | D | 1981-11-28 | Millwall | H |
| 9 | 0 | Bristol Rovers | 16 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 9 | 2 | 25 | D | W | W | L | W | 1981-11-28 | Walsall | A |
| 10 | 0 | Oxford United | 16 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 25 | L | D | W | D | W | 1981-11-28 | Preston North End | H |
| 11 | 0 | Reading | 17 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 11 | -3 | 25 | L | D | L | D | W | 1981-12-05 | Lincoln City | H |
| 12 | 0 | Exeter City | 16 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 21 | 19 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 16 | -3 | 24 | W | W | L | D | W | 1981-11-28 | Newport County | A |
| 13 | 0 | Brentford | 16 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 8 | 3 | 22 | W | L | W | D | W | 1981-11-28 | Chester | H |
| 14 | 0 | Huddersfield Town | 16 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 11 | 2 | 22 | W | W | L | L | L | 1981-11-28 | Portsmouth | A |
| 15 | 0 | Swindon Town | 16 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 14 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 11 | -2 | 21 | L | L | L | L | D | 1981-11-28 | Lincoln City | A |
| 16 | 0 | Lincoln City | 16 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 11 | 2 | 20 | W | W | L | D | L | 1981-11-28 | Swindon Town | H |
| 17 | 0 | Bristol City | 16 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 11 | -3 | 20 | L | W | L | D | W | 1981-11-28 | Burnley | H |
| 18 | 0 | Newport County | 16 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 14 | -1 | 19 | L | L | L | W | D | 1981-11-28 | Exeter City | H |
| 19 | 0 | Portsmouth | 16 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 13 | -2 | 18 | L | D | W | D | D | 1981-11-28 | Huddersfield Town | H |
| 20 | 0 | Burnley | 16 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 13 | -5 | 16 | D | D | W | D | D | 1981-11-28 | Bristol City | A |
| 21 | 0 | Plymouth Argyle | 16 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 12 | -6 | 15 | W | D | W | W | W | 1981-11-28 | Doncaster Rovers | H |
| 22 | 0 | Preston North End | 16 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 16 | -7 | 15 | L | L | W | W | L | 1981-11-28 | Oxford United | A |
| 23 | 0 | Chester | 15 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 12 | -10 | 14 | L | W | L | L | L | 1981-11-28 | Brentford | A |
| 24 | 0 | Wimbledon | 16 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 18 | -14 | 13 | W | D | L | D | L | 1981-11-28 | Chesterfield | A |
