 The following year, they finished fourth and were promoted again to the first division, without success.Relegated to the French 3rd division during 1980–1981 season, Toulon was growing stronger in the 1980s.Thanks to the effectiveness of Christian Dalger as a forward, the talent of the leader Alain Bénédet or the experience of Rolland Courbis in defence, Toulon was again promoted to the first division in 1983, finishing first in Group B, before Stade de Reims, thanks to a victory away to Grenoble (1–5).