Brian Miller guided Burnley to an eighth position finish as Burnley adapted to life in the third division. They suffered defeats in the cup competitions against West Ham United and Port Vale in what was a forgettable season. Miller guided the Clarets to glory during the 1981 – 1982 season as Burnley totally dominated the third division, convincingly winning the division as they gained promotion back in to the second division.
The 1982 – 1983 season proved to be a mixed bag for Burnley as the main disappointment of suffering from relegation back in to the third division was somehow eased in the fact that they were a real force in both the FA Cup and league cup. They suffered defeat in the quarter finals of the FA cup against Sheffield Wednesday and came agonisingly close to reaching the final of the league cup as Liverpool defeated them in the last four. John Bond took charge at the club during the 1983 – 1984 seasons before John Benson took charge in 1984. The 1984 – 1985 season proved to be a debacle as they finished it off in 21st position, condemning the club to fourth division football for the first time in the history of the football club.