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1997-98 in English football
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The 1997-1998 season was the 118th season of competitive football in England.
lass="link1" onMouseover='showByLink("m6113711",this)' onMouseout='hide("m6113711")'href="http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Arsenal_F.C.">Arsenal overhauled Manchester United's lead during the final weeks of the season to win the Premiership title. They added the FA Cup two weeks later to become only the second English club to repeat the double.
All three newly promoted teams - Bolton Wanderers, Barnsley and Crystal Palace - were relegated after just one season in the Premiership.
Everton endured their most difficult season for some 50 years.
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Encyclopedia
The 1997-1998 season was the 118th season of competitive football in England.
Overview
Premier League
Arsenal overhauled Manchester United's lead during the final weeks of the season to win the Premiership title. They added the FA Cup two weeks later to become only the second English club to repeat the double.
All three newly promoted teams - Bolton Wanderers, Barnsley and Crystal Palace - were relegated after just one season in the Premiership.
Everton endured their most difficult season for some 50 years. They finished 17th in the Premiership and only avoided relegation because they had a stronger goal difference than 18th-placed Bolton. Manager Howard Kendall's third reign at the helm came to an end soon afterwards and he was replaced by Walter Smith.
Leeds United and Blackburn Rovers made good progress in the Premiership and achieved UEFA Cup qualification.
Division One
Champions Nottingham Forest and runners-up Middlesbrough won promotion back to the Premiership at the first time of asking. Charlton Athletic won the playoffs to end an eight-year absence from the top flight.
Reading were relegated in bottom place. They were joined on the last day of the season by Manchester City and Stoke City. The blue half of Manchester endured relegation to the third tier of the English league for the first time in its history, despite beating also doomed Stoke 5-2 away on the last day of the season, but neither fans took lightly to relegation, as mass football violence outside outshone the match. Queens Park Rangers, Portsmouth and Port Vale all won their games to avoid the drop.
Division Two
Graham Taylor's second spell as manager brought instant success as Watford won the Division Two championship. They were joined by runners-up Bristol City and playoff winners Grimsby Town.
Going down to Division Three were Brentford, Plymouth Argyle, Carlisle United and Southend United. Brentford had been losing playoff finalists just 12 months earlier, Plymouth had been promoted to Division Two just two seasons earlier, Carlisle were newly-promoted and Southend had endured their second successive relegation.
Division Three
Macclesfield Town finished runners-up in Division Three to gain their second successive promotion, a year after winning the Conference. They were joined by champions Notts County, who won the title by 17 points and became the first team since World War II to secure promotion in March, third-placed Lincoln City and playoff winners Colchester United.
Doncaster Rovers suffered an English league record of 34 defeats and won just four games to lose their league status. They were replaced by Conference champions Halifax Town, who regained their league status five years after losing it.
FA Cup
Arsenal became only the second club to have won two doubles after they beat Newcastle United 2-0 and added the FA Cup to their Premiership title triumph.
League Cup
Chelsea beat Middlesbrough 2-0 to give new manager Gianluca Vialli his first major trophy just weeks after being appointed.
Successful players
Dennis Bergkamp was the key player in Arsenal's double triumph and was voted both PFA Player of the Year and FWA Player of the Year.
Liverpool's 18-year-old striker Michael Owen scored 18 Premiership goals and became the youngest England player of the 20th century, for which he was voted PFA Young Player of the Year.
Owen's Liverpool team mate Steve McManaman came in with 21 assists in the league, placing him behind David Beckham of Manchester United who capped another phenomenal season as the top goal assists maker in the league.
Coventry City striker Dion Dublin became the target of the country's biggest clubs after his 18 Premiership goals kept the Sky Blues well clear of relegation.
Blackburn Rovers striker Chris Sutton regained his full form and helped his side qualify for the UEFA Cup by scoring 18 Premiership goals.
Italian midfielder Attilio Lombardo established himself as one of the Premiership's most competent midfielders but couldn't do enough to save his club Crystal Palace from relegation, though he did stay at the south-London side until January 1999, when financial trouble meant his wages couldn't be paid.
Successful managers
Arsène Wenger won his first major trophies as Arsenal manager by guiding them to Premiership and FA Cup glory.
Gianluca Vialli, 33, kicked off his management career by winning the League Cup and Cup Winners' Cup with Chelsea.
Alan Curbishley finally succeeded in getting Charlton promoted to the Premiership after seven seasons of trying on limited resources.
Bryan Robson returned Middlesbrough to the Premiership as Division One runners-up, as well as taking them to runners-up spot in the League Cup.
Graham Taylor began his second spell as Watford manager by winning the Division Two championship and giving his club their first successful season since they were league runners-up back in 1983.
Sammy McIlroy achieved a second successive promotion for Macclesfield Town in their first season of league football.
Alan Buckley achieved promotion for Grimsby Town after their relegation from division one. Also took the team to Wembley for the first time in its history to win the Auto Windscreens Shield against Bournemouth.
Sam Allardyce took Notts County to the Division Three title with 99 points - the highest tally in any division this season.
Shane Westley won promotion to Division Two just weeks after taking over as manager of Lincoln City.
George Mulhall, 62, returned Halifax Town to the Football League as Conference champions five years after they had been demoted.
Biggest rise
Macclesfield Town marked their first season as a Football League club by finishing runners-up in Division Three and winning promotion to Division Two.
Biggest fall
Manchester City endured their second relegation in three seasons to become the first winners of a European trophy to slide into the third tier of their domestic league - they had won the European Cup Winners Cup in 1970.
Events
Double glory for Arsenal and Chelsea
Arsenal equalled Manchester United's record of two league championship and F.A Cup doubles when they overhauled Alex Ferguson's men in the Premiership title race and beat Kenny Dalglish's Newcastle United in the F.A Cup final, giving Arsène Wenger a brilliant first season at the Highbury helm.
Chelsea completed the other half of the London double by beating Middlesbrough in the League Cup final and VFB Stuttgart in the Cup Winners Cup final, within three months of 33-year-old striker Gianluca Vialli taking over as player-manager after Ruud Gullit was sacked for arguing about transfer funds with chairman Ken Bates.
Justin Fashanu found dead in suspected suicide
Justin Fashanu, the first English footballer to admit being homosexual, was found dead on the morning of 3 May in a lock-up garage in East London. He was 37. Fashanu, who is believed to have committed suicide, had fled the USA after being arrested in Maryland on suspicion of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old boy.
Fashanu, older brother of former Wimbledon striker John, began his career as an exciting young striker with Norwich City and in 1981 became Britain's first £1million black footballer when he joined Nottingham Forest. But he was not successful at the City Ground and later turned out for clubs including Edmonton (a Canadian team), Manchester City, West Ham United, Newcastle United, Torquay United, Airdrieonians, and Hearts. In 1992 he applied for the Torquay United manager's job but his application was rejected and he briefly stayed on an assistant manager before quitting the club completely.
Billy Bremner dies at 54
Billy Bremner, the controversial but brilliant midfielder who starred for Leeds United in the Don Revie glory era, died on 6 December after suffering a heart attack at the age of 54. He collected three championship medals as well as League Cup, F.A Cup, Cup Winners Cup and UEFA Cup winner's medals before finishing his career with Hull City. Bremner returned to Leeds as manager in 1985 and came within a whisker of reaching the F.A Cup final and winning promotion to the First Division in his second season as manager. He was sacked in 1988 and finished his time in football as manager of Doncaster Rovers, where he was in charge from August 1989 until November 1991.
Grief for the red and white part of Stoke, and the blue half of Manchester
While the red half of Manchester reeled in disappointment at being beaten to the Premiership title by Arsenal, the blue half of Manchester had to come to terms with the agony of relegation to Division Two for the first time in their history. City had started the Division One campaign badly and manager Frank Clark (footballer)was fired in March, with former Everton manager Joe Royle being appointed as his successor.
City went into their final game of the season at Stoke, with both sides knowing that they had to win to stand any chance of avoiding relegation. In the end City won 5-2, but both teams were relegated because the three teams above the drop zone all won their games.
Relegation to Division Two meant that Manchester City (who had won the Cup Winners Cup in 1970) were the first former winners of a European trophy to be relegated to the third tier of their domestic league.
To the dismay of the Stoke fans, Stoke were relegated in the first season of their new stadium. Many fans did not take to moving to the Britannia Stadium from their sacred old Victoria Ground. Stoke City were in the top flight in 1984/85 season.
Argentina end England's World Cup hopes
England took on Argentina in the Second Round of the World Cup in France, with a classic goal by 18-year-old striker Michael Owen giving them an early lead. The score was 2-2 with 45 minutes played, and early in the second half Diego Simeone fouled David Beckham and sent the 23-year-old midfielder falling to the ground. Beckham, still lying on the ground, reacted by kicking Simeone in the shins and was sent off. The game finished 2-2, and England lost the resultant penalty shoot-out after David Batty and Paul Ince's shots were saved. The trophy was finally won by hosts France.
Honours
League tables
FA Premier League
| Key |
|---|
| Qualified for the Champions League | | Qualified for the UEFA Cup | | Qualified for the Cup Winners' Cup | | Relegated to Division One |
Nationwide League Division One
See also: Play-off results
| Key |
|---|
| Promoted to the Premier League | | Qualified for the promotion playoff | | Relegated to Division Two |
NB In the Football League goals scored (F) takes precedence over goal difference
Nationwide League Division Two
Nationwide League Division Three
Diary of the season
29 July 1997 - Newcastle United sell striker Les Ferdinand to Tottenham Hotspur for £6million.
7 August 1997 - Footballers Bruce Grobelaar, Hans Segers and John Fashanu, along with a Thai businessman, are cleared of match-fixing at Winchester Crown Court.
16 August 1997 - Arsenal announce plans to relocate from Highbury due to its sub-40,000 capacity and difficulties for expansion.
31 August 1997 - The Liverpool-Newcastle United FA Premier League fixture is cancelled as a mark of respect for Princess Diana, who died earlier in the day in a Paris car crash. The month-end Premier League table shows Blackburn Rovers on a hot run of form under their new manager Roy Hodgson, topping the league on goal difference ahead of defending champions Manchester United, while West Ham United, Chelsea and Arsenal provide the nearest competition. Wimbledon, Aston Villa and Southampton occupy the relegation zone, while newly-promoted Bolton Wanderers, Barnsley (playing top division football for the first time) at Crystal Palace have all had a decent first month of the season.
1 September 1997 - Bolton Wanderers move into their new 27,500-seat Reebok Stadium after 102 years at Burnden Park.
6 September 1997 - There are no major football matches as the entire FA Premier League and Football League programmes are cancelled on the day of Princess Diana's funeral.
25 September 1997 - Kevin Keegan returns to football as Fulham's "Chief Operating Officer", working in conjunction with new Head Coach Ray Wilkins.
27 September 1997 - Manchester United captain Roy Keane suffers knee ligament damage against Leeds United in a FA Premier League 1-0 defeat at Elland Road and is ruled out for the rest of the season.
30 September 1997 - September ends with Arsenal as Premier League leaders, with Manchester United second. The previous month-end leaders Blackburn Rovers have slipped into fifth place, while Leicester City (without a top division league title to their name) currently occupy third place and are just a single point off the top spot, and Chelsea occupy fourth place. A terrible run of form has pushed Southampton into bottom place, while Barnsley's reasonable start to their first top division season has given way and they now occupy the next lowest position in the league. The final place in the relegation zone is occupied by Sheffield Wednesday.
11 October 1997 - England achieve automatic qualification for the 1998 World Cup after drawing 0-0 in Rome with Italy, who must navigate a two-leg playoff.
31 October 1997 - Manchester United finish October as Premier League leaders, leapfrogging Arsenal into second place, while Blackburn Rovers have got their title challenge back on track by climbing into third place. Chelsea and Liverpool complete the top five, with the unfashionable Leicester City, Derby County and Wimbledon putting immense pressure on them. A dismal run of form has pushed Bolton Wanderers into bottom place, while Barnsley occupying the next lowest position and Sheffield Wednesday completing the bottom three.
29 November 1997 - Iran qualify for the 1998 World Cup at the expense of Australia, whose national coach Terry Venables steps down after one year in charge.
30 November 1997 - November draws to a close with Manchester United still top of the Premier League, with Chelsea, Blackburn Rovers and Leeds United putting up a strong challenge, while Arsenal's title bid appears to be fading away as they now occupy fifth place and are seven points off the top. Everton are now bottom of the top division where they have so far played for 44 seasons in succession, with Barnsley and Bolton Wanderers completing the bottom three.
6 December 1997 - Former Leeds United and Scotland midfielder Billy Bremner dies aged 54 after suffering a heart attack.
27 December 1997 - Manchester United agree to sell Czech winger Karel Poborský to Benfica after an unsuccessful 18 months at Old Trafford.
29 December 1997 - The English FA continue investigations into an Asian Betting Syndicate's links with English hooligans and mobsters to continuously shut off floodlights in Premiership stadia to get matches with "unfavourable" results postponed and cancelled. Affected clubs like West Ham, Derby County, Arsenal and Bolton Wanderers all filed official inquiries.
31 December 1997 - 1997 draws to a close with Manchester United now leading by a five-point margin over their nearest contenders Blackburn Rovers. Chelsea, Liverpool and Leeds United complete the top five, but Arsenal are now sixth and now need something little short of a miracle to bring the Premier League trophy to Highbury. Meanwhile, Barnsley prop up the top flight, while Everton and Tottenham Hotspur complete the bottom three.
3 January 1998 - Holders Chelsea suffer a first hurdle defeat in the FA Cup when they lost 5-3 to Manchester United, while Conference club Stevenage Borough achieve a shock 2-1 away win over Division One Swindon Town.
24 January 1998 - Walsall's hopes of pulling off a giant-killing feat in the FA Cup fourth round are ended when Manchester United crush them 5-1 at Old Trafford.
25 January 1998 - Stevenage Borough's FA Cup adventure continues when they hold Premier League club Newcastle United to a 1-1 draw at Broadhall Way, though a controversial refereeing decision saw them denied a goal which clearly went over the line and would have made them the first non-league time since Sutton United in 1989 to beat a top division club in the FA Cup.
31 January 1998 - Manchester United remain top of the Premier League as January draws to a close, despite losing 1-0 at home to Leicester City. They now lead their nearest rivals Chelsea, Blackburn Rovers and Liverpool by a four-point margin. Arsenal are beginning to rescue their season as they are now fifth in the league and just eight points off the top, with a game in hand. Barnsley remain bottom and Tottenham Hotspur have yet to climb clear of the bottom three, but Everton have jumped clear of the drop zone at the expense of Bolton Wanderers.
4 February 1998 - Stevenage Borough's FA Cup dream ends in the fourth round replay when Newcastle United beat them 2-1 at St James's Park.
9 February 1998 - Michael Owen becomes the youngest-ever England international when he plays in the nation's 2-0 defeat against Chile.
12 February 1998 - The football world is stunned by the dismissal of Chelsea manager Ruud Gullit, who was sacked after a dispute with chairman Ken Bates. 33-year-old striker Gianluca Vialli is installed as player-manager.
25 February 1998 - Manchester United's FA Cup quest ends with a shock 3-2 defeat by Barnsley in the fifth round replay at Oakwell.
28 February 1998 - February draws to a close with Manchester United still top of the Premier League. They are 11 points ahead of second placed Blackburn Rovers, but third placed Arsenal have played three games less than Arsenal who trail them by 12 points. Liverpool, Chelsea and Derby County are the clubs giving the top three a run for their money. Crystal Palace, yet to win at home this season, are now bottom of the Premier League in a drop zone with includes the other two newly promoted clubs Bolton Wanderers and Barnsley. Everton and Tottenham Hotspur remain under the most direct threat from the bottom three.
1 March 1998 - Manchester United enter March 11 points ahead at the top of the FA Premier League, with their nearest contenders Arsenal having 3 games in hand.
8 March 1998 - Barnsley's dreams of marking their first top division season with FA Cup glory are ended when they lost 3-1 at Newcastle United in the quarter-final.
14 March 1998 - Arsenal beat Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford to decrease United's lead to 6 points, plus they have the advantage of 3 games in hand.
28 March 1998 - Notts County, Division Three leaders, become the first English team to win promotion in March.
31 March 1998 - Manchester United remain top of the league by a six-point margin as March ends, but their nearest contenders Arsenal have three games in hand. Liverpool in third place are nine points off the top with a game in hand, and meet United at Old Trafford in 10 days for what could be a decisive game in the title race. Chelsea occupy fourth place and if they finish in the top five then a sixth placed team will automatically qualify for the UEFA Cup for the first time as Chelsea have won the League Cup and new rules regarding European competitions mean that lower-placed teams can qualify for Europe. An unlikely bid for a UEFA Cup place is coming from West Ham United and Coventry City, two means who narrowly avoided relegation last season. Meanwhile, Barnsley, Bolton Wanderers and Crystal Palace continue to occupy the relegation zone.
5 April 1998 - Arsenal move closer to their second double by beating Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 in the FA Cup semi-final at Villa Park.
6 April 1998 - Newcastle United, who have had a dismal season in the Premier League, are given the hope of FA Cup glory after a semi-final win over Sheffield United at Old Trafford sends them into the FA Cup final for the first time since 1974.
30 April 1998 - April draws to a close with Arsenal now leading by a point ahead of Manchester United and having two games in hand, as United manager concedes the title despite his team's 3-0 win over Crystal Palace, whose relegation is confirmed. Meanwhile, Aston Villa have emerged as surprise contenders for a UEFA Cup place after spending most of the season battling relegation, and there will also be a UEFA Cup place for the seventh-placed club if Arsenal beat Newcastle United in the FA Cup final next month. At the other end of the table, Barnsley and Bolton Wanderers remain in the bottom three, but there is still a threat of relegation for Tottenham Hotspur and Everton as well as a Newcastle United side who came close to winning the title last season and the season before. Wimbledon, who only need two points from their final three games to achieved safety, are the only other team under threat of relegation.
3 May 1998 - Arsenal clinch the FA Premier League title with a 4-0 home win over Everton.
10 May 1998 - The FA Premier League season ends with Arsenal as champions and Manchester United as runners-up, with both teams qualifying for the European Cup. The UEFA Cup places go to Liverpool, Chelsea, Leeds United, Blackburn Rovers and Aston Villa. Bolton Wanderers, Barnsley and Crystal Palace are relegated.
16 May 1998 - Arsenal become the second English team (though with an entirely different set of players) to complete the 'double' when they beat Newcastle United 2-0 in the FA Cup final. Marc Overmars opens the scoring after 23 minutes, followed by 19-year-old Nicolas Anelka's goal in the 69th minute.
25 May 1998 - Charlton Athletic win promotion to the FA Premier League after beating Sunderland 7-6 on penalties following a 4-4 draw in the Division One playoff final.
Deaths
- 7 December 1997: Billy Bremner, 54, one of the most influential players for Leeds United during the glorious Don Revie era, died after suffering a heart attack two days before his 55th birthday. He helped them win two league championships, one FA Cup, one League Cup and one UEFA Cup, and managed the club from 1985 to 1988. He also had spells in charge of Doncaster Rovers (twice) and Hull City.
- 18 February 1998: Robbie James, 40, played nearly 800 English league games between 1973 and 1994 for clubs including QPR, Leicester City, Swansea City and Cardiff City, and was a Welsh international midfielder. He was with Llanelli as player-manager when he collapsed in a Welsh Football League game against Porthcawl and was certified dead on his arrival at hospital.
- 13 March 1998: Peter Sillett, 65, was a right back for Chelsea when whey won the league championship in 1955. He was capped three times for England and was the older brother of John Sillett, who managed Coventry City to FA Cup glory in 1987. Sir Stanley Matthews rated Sillett as the best defender he had ever played against.
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