He made his final appearance in a 6–0 thrashing by Brighton and was released at the end of the season. Following his retirement from playing, Anderson became the landlord of the Castle Hotel in Caister-on-Sea in Norfolk and worked in a sports shop. Four years after playing his last game, on 24 January 1980, Anderson went on a training run in Great Yarmouth. He never returned from his run, and his body was found one week later having drowned at some point between this time. His exact date of death was never discovered.