1998-99 in English football - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Premier League

Manchester United F.C.

Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...

overcame close competition from Arsenal

Arsenal F.C.

Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...

, Aston Villa and Chelsea

Chelsea F.C.

Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...

to win their fifth Premiership title in seven seasons thanks to the comeback of Roy Keane

Roy Keane

Roy Maurice Keane is an Irish former footballer and manager. In his 18-year playing career, he played for Cobh Ramblers in the League of Ireland, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United, before ending his career at Celtic in Scotland....

after his long-term injury and a transfer raid totalling nearly £30 million which netted Aston Villa

Aston Villa F.C.

Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...

striker Dwight Yorke

Dwight Yorke

Dwight Eversley Yorke is a Trinidad and Tobago former football player. He played for Aston Villa for most of his career, followed by stints with Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers, Birmingham City, Sydney FC and Sunderland...

, Parma

Parma

Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its ham, its cheese, its architecture and the fine countryside around it. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....

winger Jesper Blomqvist

Jesper Blomqvist

Lars Jesper Blomqvist is a Swedish football player.Most recently he has been the playing assistant manager of Superettan side Hammarby from December 2009 to November 2010...

and PSV defender Jaap Stam

Jaap Stam

Jakob "Jaap" Stam is a retired Dutch football player who was twice voted best defender in the 1998–99 and 1999–2000 UEFA Champions League. He played for several European clubs like PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, S.S. Lazio, A.C. Milan and AFC Ajax before retiring in October 2007...

. They went on to win a unique treble of the Premiership title, FA Cup

FA Cup

The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...

and European Cup

UEFA Champions League

The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...

, which gained manager Alex Ferguson

Alex Ferguson

Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...

a knighthood.

Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest F.C.

Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...

went down to Division One

Football League First Division

The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....

just one season after winning promotion. They had started the season terribly after manager Dave Bassett

Dave Bassett

David Bassett , also frequently known by his nickname of Harry, is an English football manager and a former player....

was sacked and Dutch striker Pierre van Hooijdonk

Pierre van Hooijdonk

Petrus Ferdinandus Johannes "Pierre" van Hooijdonk is a retired Dutch football player who played as a striker. His last spell was at Feyenoord Rotterdam. Van Hooijdonk was capped 46 times for the Dutch national team, scoring 21 goals, and played in the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Euro 2000 and Euro 2004...

went AWOL. Experienced Ron Atkinson

Ron Atkinson

Ronald Ernest Atkinson, commonly known as "Big Ron" and "Bojangles" is an English former football player and manager. In recent years he has become one of Britain's best-known football pundits...

was brought in on a temporary contract but could not stave off relegation. Joining Forest in the Premiership drop zone were Blackburn Rovers

Blackburn Rovers F.C.

Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....

(Premiership champions just four years earlier) and Charlton Athletic

Charlton Athletic F.C.

Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...

. Southampton

Southampton F.C.

Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...

were the lucky team to avoid relegation on the last day of the season, and their remarkable survival also signalled the go-ahead for a new stadium which would be in use for the 2001–02 season.

Division One

Sunderland

Sunderland A.F.C.

Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...

were crowned Division One champions with 105 points, then a record, having lost just three games all season, to prove right the many pundits who tipped them for promotion. The two other promotion places were secured by two of the division's least fancied sides – runners-up Bradford City

Bradford City A.F.C.

Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....

(back in the top division for the first time in 77 years) and playoff winners Watford

Watford F.C.

Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...

(who had won their second successive promotion during Graham Taylor

Graham Taylor (football manager)

Graham Taylor OBE is a football pundit, ex-football manager, and a former player. He is best known as the manager of the England national football team, as well as being manager of Watford, a club he took from the Fourth Division to the First in the space of five years, then from bottom of the...

's second spell as manager).

Bury

Bury F.C.

Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...

, Oxford United

Oxford United F.C.

Oxford United Football Club is an English association football club based in Oxford, Oxfordshire. The club play in League Two, following promotion from the Conference National in May 2010. The club had been a non-League side since their relegation from the Football League in the 2005–06 season. The...

and Bristol City

Bristol City F.C.

Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...

occupied the three relegation places in Division One. Oxford's dismal season was mainly down to £10 million debts which were putting the club in real danger of closure, and had also resulted in the suspension of construction of their new stadium near the Blackbird Leys

Blackbird Leys

Blackbird Leys is a civil parish and ward in Oxford, England, and is one of the largest council estates in Europe. According to the 2001 census, the ward had a population of 5,803. Unlike most parts of the City of Oxford, the area has a civil parish. The parish was created in 1990. Its 2001 parish...

estate.

Division Two

Kevin Keegan

Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United....

completed his spell as Fulham

Fulham F.C.

Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...

manager before taking the England

England national football team

The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...

job by guiding the Cottagers to the Division Two

Football League Second Division

From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...

championship with a staggering 101 points. Following them up were runners-up Walsall

Walsall F.C.

Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...

and playoff winners Manchester City

Manchester City F.C.

Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...

.

Going down were York City

York City F.C.

York City Football Club is an English football club based in York, North Yorkshire. The club participates in the Conference National, the fifth tier of English football. Founded in 1922, they joined the Football League in 1929, and have spent most of their history in the lower divisions...

, Northampton Town

Northampton Town F.C.

Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...

, Lincoln City

Lincoln City F.C.

Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....

and Macclesfield Town

Macclesfield Town F.C.

Macclesfield Town Football Club is an English football team. The club was formed in 1874 and is based in the town of Macclesfield in Cheshire. The team play its home games at the 6,355 capacity Moss Rose stadium...

. Narrowly avoiding the drop to Division Three

Football League Third Division

The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...

were Oldham Athletic

Oldham Athletic A.F.C.

Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is an English association football club based at Boundary Park, on Sheepfoot Lane in Oldham, Greater Manchester. The club currently competes in the Football League One, the third tier of the English league...

, who just five years earlier had been a Premiership

FA Premier League

The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...

side who came within a whisker of reaching the FA Cup

FA Cup

final.

Division Three

Brentford

Brentford F.C.

Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....

, Cambridge United

Cambridge United F.C.

Cambridge United Football Club is a professional football club from Cambridge, England. They are currently playing the 2011-2012 season in the Conference National, the fifth tier of the English league system, where they have competed since 2005 following their relegation from the Football League...

, Cardiff City

Cardiff City F.C.

Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...

and Scunthorpe United

Scunthorpe United F.C.

Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....

occupied the four promotion places in Division Three

Football League Third Division

.

Carlisle United

Carlisle United F.C.

Carlisle United F.C. is an English football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, where they play at Brunton Park. Formed in 1904, the club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system....

kept their league status in remarkable fashion. They entered the final game of the season in bottom place, and with 90 minutes on the clock in their home game against Plymouth Argyle

Plymouth Argyle F.C.

Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...

they were drawing 1–1 and needed a win to stay up. The referee then allowed 4 minutes of stoppage time and with just seconds to go, goalkeeper Jimmy Glass

Jimmy Glass

James "Jimmy" Glass is a former football goalkeeper. Glass is remembered for scoring the last-minute goal which kept Carlisle United in the Football League in 1999...

came upfield and scored from a rebounded corner to preserve his club's place in the league which had been held since 1928. Scarborough

Scarborough F.C.

Scarborough Football Club was an English football club based in the seaside resort of Scarborough, North Yorkshire. They were one of the oldest football clubs in England, formed in 1879, before they were wound up on 20 June 2007, with debts of £2.5 million.In the 2006–07 season...

, who had only joined the league in 1987, were relegated instead. Glass, 25, had been signed on loan from Swindon Town

Swindon Town F.C.

Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...

after the transfer line because an injury crisis had left Carlisle without a goalkeeper for the final few games of the season.

FA Cup

Manchester United

Manchester United F.C.

beat Newcastle United

Newcastle United F.C.

Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...

2–0 to secure their third double triumph in six seasons and completed the second part of their treble glory.

League Cup

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

finally had something to shout about as their new manager George Graham

George Graham (footballer)

George Graham is a Scottish former football player and manager. He is best remembered for his success at Arsenal, as a player in the 1970s and then as manager from 1986 until 1995.-Early life:...

guided them to League Cup

Football League Cup

The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...

glory at the expense of Leicester City

Leicester City F.C.

Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...

. On the way they knocked out Manchester United, stopping Scotman Alex Ferguson emulating his fellow countrymen Celtic

Celtic F.C.

Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...

's quadruple success of 1967.

Successful players

Tottenham

Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

's classy French midfielder

Midfielder

A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

David Ginola

David Karl Ginola is a French former international football player who has also worked as an actor and model.Ginola was born in Gassin, Var...

was voted PFA Player of the Year and FWA Player of the Year after helping his employers win the League Cup. Despite Manchester United's domination of the season, it was not enough to see any of their players win these honours.

19-year-old Arsenal

Arsenal F.C.

and France striker Nicolas Anelka

Nicolas Anelka

Abdul-Salam Bilal on 14 March 1979) is a French international footballer, who plays as a striker for English Premier League club Chelsea. Anelka was also a regular starter for the French national team...

was voted PFA Young Player of the Year

PFA Young Player of the Year

The Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year is an annual award given to the player aged 23 or under at the start of the season who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in English football...

after his exciting form almost saw his employers repeat their double triumph of the previous season.

Despite having his first-team opportunities limited by the arrival of Dwight Yorke

Dwight Yorke

, 33-year-old Teddy Sheringham

Teddy Sheringham

Edward Paul "Teddy" Sheringham MBE is a retired English footballer, and the father of footballer Charlie Sheringham. Sheringham played as a striker, and had a successful career at the club level, winning almost every domestic honour available with his clubs, most notably the Treble with Manchester...

was able to get into the Manchester United

Manchester United F.C.

line-up for the FA Cup

FA Cup

final to score one of his side's two goals. Four days later he scored an injury time equaliser in the European Cup

UEFA Champions League

final followed two minutes later by a last-gasp winner scored by Ole Gunnar Solskjær

Ole Gunnar Solskjær

Ole Gunnar Solskjær is the manager of Norwegian first division side Molde. He is better known as a former footballer who spent most of his career playing for Manchester United. Often dubbed "the baby-faced assassin," he played 366 times for the Red Devils and scored 126 goals during a very...

, who had maintained his reputation as a top class goalscorer despite being included as a substitute for most of United's games during the season.

David Seaman

David Seaman

David Andrew Seaman MBE is a former English football goalkeeper who played for several clubs, most notably Arsenal. He retired from the game on 13 January 2004, following a recurring shoulder injury...

proved himself as (statistically) the most successful goalkeeper in English league history after conceding just 17 league goals in a season with Arsenal

Arsenal F.C.

.

Kevin Phillips

Kevin Phillips (footballer)

Kevin Mark Phillips is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Blackpool.Phillips was the Premier League top scorer in the 1999–2000 season with 30 goals for Sunderland, a tally which won him the European Golden Shoe. He remains the only Englishman to win the trophy...

had another prolific season with Sunderland, who won promotion to the Premiership as Division One champions.

Successful managers

Alex Ferguson

Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...

was knighted after guiding Manchester United

Manchester United F.C.

to a unique treble of the Premiership title, FA Cup

FA Cup

and European Cup

UEFA Champions League

.

George Graham

George Graham (footballer)

George Graham is a Scottish former football player and manager. He is best remembered for his success at Arsenal, as a player in the 1970s and then as manager from 1986 until 1995.-Early life:...

gave Tottenham

Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

their first successful season for almost a decade by guiding them to League Cup

Football League Cup

glory.

Peter Reid

Peter Reid

Peter Reid is an English football manager, pundit and retired player, who is currently without a club since his departure from Plymouth Argyle.A defensive midfielder in his playing days, Reid enjoyed a long and successful career...

took Sunderland

Sunderland A.F.C.

Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...

into the Premiership as Division One

Football League First Division

champions on 105 points.

Harry Redknapp

Harry Redknapp

Henry James "Harry" Redknapp is a former English footballer who has enjoyed a long career in football management starting in 1983 with Bournemouth. He is the current manager of Tottenham Hotspur....

guided West Ham United to fifth place in the Premiership to secure their first European qualification for nearly 20 years.

Paul Jewell

Paul Jewell

Paul Steven Jewell is a former English footballer who is currently the manager of Ipswich Town.His playing career started with Liverpool before moving to Wigan Athletic and then a ten-year spell with Bradford City...

ended Bradford City

Bradford City A.F.C.

Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....

's 77-year wait for a return to the top division.

Graham Taylor

Graham Taylor (football manager)

took Watford

Watford F.C.

into the Premiership

FA Premier League

as they won the Division One

Football League First Division

playoffs and secured their second successive promotion.

Kevin Keegan

Kevin Keegan

Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United....

finished his spell as Fulham

Fulham F.C.

manager by guiding them to the Division Two

Football League Second Division

title with 101 points, before quitting to concentrate on his role as England manager.

Ray Graydon

Ray Graydon

Ray Graydon is an English football manager and retired football player. He was recently employed as First Team Coach of Championship team, Leicester City while Rob Kelly was manager during the 2005-06 season.-Playing career:...

pulled off a major surprise in his first season as Walsall

Walsall F.C.

manager by gaining promotion to Division One

Football League First Division

.

Steve Cotterill

Steve Cotterill

Stephen "Steve" Cotterill is an English former footballer who is manager of Nottingham Forest.-Playing career:...

, 35, guided Cheltenham Town into the Football League as Conference champions.

Brian Laws

Brian Laws

Brian Laws is an English former footballer and manager, most recently of Burnley.Playing as a defender, Laws made over 100 appearances for each of Burnley, Middlesbrough, and Nottingham Forest. In 1994, Laws became player-manager of Grimsby Town before taking a similar position with Scunthorpe...

took Scunthorpe United out of the league's basement division for the first time in more than a decade after they won the Division Three

Football League Third Division

playoffs.

Biggest rise

Bradford City finished as Division One runners-up and reached the Premiership to end a 77-year absence from the top flight.

Biggest fall

Blackburn Rovers were relegated to Division One just four years after being Premiership champions. They crossed paths with Bradford City

Bradford City A.F.C.

Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....

, who had narrowly avoided the Division Two drop zone during Blackburn's championship season.

Ferguson knighted after United's treble glory

Manchester United completed a unique treble of the Premiership title, FA Cup and European Cup.

Part one of United's treble was completed when they beat Tottenham

Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

2–1 on the last day of the season to ensure that Arsenal

Arsenal F.C.

did not retain the Premiership title. A week later they completed the second part of the treble with a 2–0 victory over Newcastle United in the FA Cup final.

United's treble dream looked dead on 26 May as the clock ticked towards 90 minutes in the European Cup final at Barcelona's Nou Camp stadium, with Bayern Munich leading 1–0. Referee Pierluigi Collina

Pierluigi Collina

Pierluigi Collina is a former Italian football referee. He is still involved in football as non-paid consultant to the Italian Football Referees Association , and is a member of the UEFA Referees Committee...

allowed 3 minutes of stoppage time and within the first minute substitute Teddy Sheringham

Teddy Sheringham

forced an equaliser and an enormous wave of relief flooded among the United fans. Sheringham's goal looked to have forced extra time, but with the last kick of the game Ole Gunnar Solskjær

Ole Gunnar Solskjær

scored a winner and United fans and players went wild. Alex Ferguson

Alex Ferguson

Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...

later questioned whether the spirit of Sir Matt Busby, who would have turned 90 on the day of the triumph, had influenced the outcome of the game.

On 12 June, Alex Ferguson

Alex Ferguson

Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...

received a knighthood in recognition for his services to football – making him the seventh knight of English football and the third knight to be associated with Manchester United, the others being Matt Busby

Matt Busby

Sir Alexander Matthew "Matt" Busby, CBE, KCSG was a Scottish football player and manager, most noted for managing Manchester United between 1945 and 1969 and again for the second half of the 1970–1971 season...

and Bobby Charlton

Bobby Charlton

Sir Robert "Bobby" Charlton CBE is an English former professional football player, a member of the England team who won the World Cup and Ballon d'Or for European Footballer of the Year in 1966...

Manchester City mirror United's comeback

Manchester City, who had been favourites to win Division Two, had to settle for a Play-Off Final appearance against Gillingham

Gillingham F.C.

Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...

at Wembley on May 31, 1999. With 80 minutes played Carl Asaba

Carl Asaba

Carl Edward Asaba is a former English professional football player who played as a striker.-Career:Asaba first came to prominence at Brentford, debuting in 1994 after joining the club from Dulwich Hamlet. His goalscoring soon attracted attention and Reading signed him for a club record £800,000...

scored for Gillingham, and when Bob Taylor scored a second in the 87th minute it looked like they would be promoted. However in the 90th minute Kevin Horlock

Kevin Horlock

Kevin Horlock is an English born Northern Irish football player, currently player/assistant manager of Needham Market. Horlock is a former Northern Ireland international and is most associated with Manchester City, for whom he played in three different divisions including the Premier League...

scored, and referee Mark Halsey

Mark Halsey

Mark R. Halsey is an English professional football referee who officiates primarily in the Premier League. He was formerly based in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, currently in Bolton, Lancashire....

signalled for 5 minutes of stoppage time. In the last of these minutes Paul Dickov

Paul Dickov

Paul Dickov is a retired Scottish footballer, turned manager who is currently in charge of League One side Oldham Athletic...

scored an equaliser. Ironically, the Gillingham goalkeeper Vince Bartram

Vince Bartram

Vincent Lee Bartram is an English former professional footballer, who played as a goalkeeper. He is now goalkeeping coach at Southampton F.C.-Career:...

and Dickov were great friends, both having been the other's Best Man at his wedding. No more goals were scored in extra-time, so the match went to penalties. Manchester City won 3–1. City 'keeper Nicky Weaver

Nicky Weaver

Nicholas James "Nicky" Weaver is an English footballer who is a goalkeeper currently playing for League One club Sheffield Wednesday. Weaver is a former England under-21 international.-Career:...

saved two of Gillingham's penalties and famously ran around Wembley Stadium in celebration. Paul Dickov, having scored in normal time, watched his penalty hit both posts and rebound out to him. He and Bartram swapped shirts at the end of the match.

Hoddle ousted

On 2 February, the FA terminated Glenn Hoddle

Glenn Hoddle

Glenn Hoddle is an English former footballer and manager who played as an attacking midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur, AS Monaco, Chelsea and Swindon Town and at international level for England....

's contract as England manager after he appeared in The Times

The Times

The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...

and suggested that disabled people were being punished for sins in previous lives. His comments had sparked outrage amongst disabled people to such an extent that the FA felt they had no option but to sack him.

The hunt began for his successor. A month later, former Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan

Kevin Keegan

Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United....

agreed to take charge of the England team but stayed on as Fulham manager until the end of the season in order to oversee their Division Two title glory.

New arrivals in Premiership

A year after their dramatic playoff final defeat to Charlton Athletic

Charlton Athletic F.C.

in a penalty shoot-out, Peter Reid

Peter Reid

's Sunderland

Sunderland A.F.C.

Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...

returned to the Premiership after winning the Division One championship with a record 105 points. Sunderland, who had moved into their classy new home – the Stadium of Light – two years earlier, were most people's favourites for promotion to the top flight. But the other two promoted teams were perhaps the most unlikely bet that anyone could have made.

Bradford City

Bradford City A.F.C.

Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....

, led by manager Paul Jewell

Paul Jewell

, had been outside the top division since 1922. Their only claim to fame had been an FA Cup triumph in 1911. But the inexperienced Jewell surprised all the observers by putting together a strong Bradford side who cruised to second place in Division One and booked their place in the Premiership.

The third and final place in the Premiership went to playoff winners Watford

Watford F.C.

, managed by Graham Taylor for the second time (he had previously been in charge from 1976 until 1987). Taylor had finally achieved some success the previous year in form of the Division Two championship, having endured a torrid time with England and then Wolves. But the playoff triumph of 1999 was more than even Taylor could have expected just a few months earlier.

Glass's last gasp goal keeps Carlisle in league

Carlisle United went into the final game of the 1998–99 Division Three campaign knowing that they had to beat Plymouth Argyle

Plymouth Argyle F.C.

to hang on to the Football League place they had held since 1928. In April, an injury crisis had forced Carlisle to bring in goalkeeper Jimmy Glass

Jimmy Glass

James "Jimmy" Glass is a former football goalkeeper. Glass is remembered for scoring the last-minute goal which kept Carlisle United in the Football League in 1999...

on loan from Swindon and the Football League gave permission for the transfer to go ahead despite the transfer deadline having already passed.

With 90 minutes on the clock for Carlisle's home fixture against Plymouth, the referee allowed 4 minutes of stoppage time which gave the Cumbrians hope of survival.

10 seconds before the end of stoppage time, Jimmy Glass ran upfield after a corner was given and slammed the ball into the back of the net to keep Carlisle in the league and send Scarborough

Scarborough F.C.

down to the Conference.

Blackburn go down

Blackburn Rovers, Premiership champions in 1995, were relegated from the Premiership in 1999 with a side which had been rendered of almost all of its title winning players. Roy Hodgson

Roy Hodgson

Roy Hodgson is a former English footballer and current head coach of West Bromwich Albion.Hodgson, who has managed sixteen different teams in eight countries, guided the Switzerland national team to the last 16 of the 1994 World Cup and qualification for Euro 1996; Switzerland had not qualified...

had arrived as manager in 1997 and achieved UEFA Cup qualification in his first season as manager, only to be sacked the following November as Blackburn found themselves caught up in a relegation battle. Manchester United's successful assistant manager Brian Kidd

Brian Kidd

Brian Kidd is an English football coach and former player, who is currently Assistant Manager to Roberto Mancini at Manchester City....

was brought in as his successor, and for a while things were looking up. But Blackburn's relegation fight was finally lost after they drew 0–0 at home to Manchester United in the penultimate game of the season.
Chairman Jack Walker

Jack Walker

Jack Walker was a British industrialist and businessman, from Blackburn, Lancashire. Walker invested tens of millions of pounds in Blackburn Rovers football club after amassing a personal fortune of £600 million...

was now faced with finding the funds to build a side that could win promotion back to the Premiership, 12 months after he handed an open cheque book to Roy Hodgson

Roy Hodgson

in hope of winning the league.

FA Premier League

Manchester United overcame close competition from Arsenal and Chelsea to win their fifth Premiership title in seven seasons thanks to the comeback of Roy Keane after his long-term injury and a transfer raid totalling nearly £30million which netted Aston Villa striker Dwight Yorke, Parma winger Jesper Blomqvist and PSV defender Jaap Stam. They went on to win a unique treble of the Premiership title, FA Cup and European Cup, which gained manager Alex Ferguson a knighthood.

Nottingham Forest went down to Division One just one season after winning promotion. They had started the season terribly after manager Dave Bassett was sacked and Dutch striker Pierre van Hooijdonk went AWOL. Experienced Ron Atkinson was brought in on a temporary contract but could not stave off relegation. Joining Forest in the Premiership drop zone were Blackburn Rovers (Premiership champions just four years earlier) and Charlton Athletic. Southampton were the lucky team to avoid relegation on the last day of the season, and their remarkable survival also signalled the go-ahead for a new stadium which would be in use for the 2001–02 season.

For more detail on the Premiership this season see FA Premier League 1998-99

FA Premier League 1998-99

The 1998–99 FA Premier League season was the seventh season of the Premier League, the top division of English football, since its establishment in 1992. The season will always be remembered as the one in which Manchester United won a unique treble of the league title, the FA Cup and the European Cup...

Pos	Team	Pl	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1.	Manchester United	38	22	13	3	80	37	+43	79
2.	Arsenal Arsenal F.C. Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...	38	22	12	4	59	17	+42	78
3.	Chelsea Chelsea F.C. Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...	38	20	15	3	57	30	+27	75
4.	Leeds United Leeds United A.F.C. Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...	38	18	13	7	62	34	+28	67
5.	West Ham United West Ham United F.C. West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...	38	16	9	13	46	53	-7	57
6.	Aston Villa Aston Villa F.C. Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...	38	15	10	13	55	51	+4	55
7.	Liverpool Liverpool F.C. Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...	38	15	9	14	68	49	+19	54
8.	Derby County Derby County F.C. Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...	38	13	13	12	40	45	-5	52
9.	Middlesbrough Middlesbrough F.C. Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...	38	12	15	11	48	54	-6	51
10.	Leicester City Leicester City F.C. Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...	38	12	13	13	40	46	-6	49
11.	Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....	38	11	14	13	47	50	-3	47
12.	Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Wednesday F.C. Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...	38	13	7	18	41	42	-1	46
13.	Newcastle United Newcastle United F.C. Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...	38	11	13	14	48	54	-6	46
14.	Everton Everton F.C. Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...	38	11	10	17	42	47	-5	43
15.	Coventry City Coventry City F.C. Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...	38	11	9	18	39	51	-12	42
16.	Wimbledon Wimbledon F.C. Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...	38	10	12	16	40	63	-23	42
17.	Southampton Southampton F.C. Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...	38	11	8	19	37	64	-27	41
18.	Charlton Athletic Charlton Athletic F.C. Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...	38	8	12	18	41	56	-15	36
19.	Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers F.C. Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....	38	7	14	17	38	52	-14	35
20.	Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest F.C. Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...	38	7	9	22	35	69	-34	30

Key
Qualified for the Champions League
Qualified for the UEFA Cup
Relegated to Division 1

Leading goalscorer: Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink

Jerrel Hasselbaink usually known as Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is a Dutch former football striker who played for various clubs in the Netherlands, Portugal, England, and Spain, as well as the Dutch national team. He scored more than 200 career goals...

(Leeds), Michael Owen

Michael Owen

Michael James Owen is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Manchester United.The son of former footballer Terry Owen, Owen began his senior career at Liverpool in 1996. He progressed through the Liverpool youth team and scored on his debut in May 1997...

(Liverpool) and Dwight Yorke

Dwight Yorke

(Manchester United) – 18

Nationwide League Division One

Sunderland were crowned Division One champions with 105 points, then a record, having lost just three games all season, to prove right the many pundits who tipped them for promotion. The two other promotion places were secured by two of the division's least fancied sides – runners-up Bradford City (back in the top division for the first time in 77 years) and playoff winners Watford (who had won their second successive promotion during Graham Taylor's second spell as manager).

Bury, Oxford United and Bristol City occupied the three relegation places in Division One. Oxford's dismal season was mainly down to £10 million debts which were putting the club in real danger of closure, and had also resulted in the suspension of construction of their new stadium near the Blackbird Leys estate. Bury were arguably unlucky to have gone down, as their goal difference was better than that of fourth-bottom Port Vale (who they finished level on points with), but this was the last of three seasons where goals scored took precedence over goal difference, and Bury having the worst goals scored count of any team in the whole league condemned them to relegation.

Pos	Team	Pl	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
1.	Sunderland Sunderland A.F.C. Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...	46	31	12	3	91	28	105
2.	Bradford City Bradford City A.F.C. Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....	46	26	9	11	82	47	87
3.	Ipswich Town Ipswich Town F.C. Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....	46	26	8	12	69	32	86
4.	Birmingham City Birmingham City F.C. Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...	46	23	12	11	66	37	81
5.	Watford Watford F.C. Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...	46	21	14	11	65	56	77
6.	Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers F.C. Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....	46	20	16	10	78	59	76
7.	Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...	46	19	16	11	64	43	73
8.	Sheffield United Sheffield United F.C. Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...	46	18	13	15	71	66	67
9.	Norwich City Norwich City F.C. Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...	46	15	17	14	62	61	62
10.	Huddersfield Town Huddersfield Town F.C. Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...	46	15	16	15	62	71	61
11.	Grimsby Town Grimsby Town F.C. Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...	46	17	10	19	40	52	61
12.	West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion F.C. West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...	46	16	11	19	69	76	59
13.	Barnsley Barnsley F.C. Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...	46	14	17	15	59	56	59
14.	Crystal Palace Crystal Palace F.C. Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...	46	14	16	16	58	71	58
15.	Tranmere Rovers Tranmere Rovers F.C. Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...	46	12	20	14	63	61	56
16.	Stockport County Stockport County F.C. Stockport County Football Club is an English football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The club formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, shortly afterwards merging with Heaton Norris F.C., and adopted the current name on 24 May 1890 on the creation of the County Borough of Stockport...	46	12	17	17	49	60	53
17.	Swindon Town	46	13	11	22	59	81	50
18.	Crewe Alexandra Crewe Alexandra F.C. Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...	46	12	12	22	54	78	48
19.	Portsmouth Portsmouth F.C. Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...	46	11	14	21	57	73	47
20.	Queens Park Rangers	46	12	11	23	52	61	47
21.	Port Vale Port Vale F.C. Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...	46	13	8	25	45	75	47
22.	Bury Bury F.C. Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...	46	10	17	19	35	60	47
23.	Oxford United Oxford United F.C. Oxford United Football Club is an English association football club based in Oxford, Oxfordshire. The club play in League Two, following promotion from the Conference National in May 2010. The club had been a non-League side since their relegation from the Football League in the 2005–06 season. The...	46	10	14	22	48	71	44
24.	Bristol City Bristol City F.C. Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...	46	9	15	22	57	80	42

Key
Promoted to the Premier League
Qualified for the promotion playoff
Relegated to Division 2

NB In the Football League goals scored (F) takes precedence over goal difference

Leading goalscorer: Lee Hughes

Lee Hughes

Lee Hughes is an English Footballer who plays for Notts County as a striker.-Non-League and West Bromwich Albion:On leaving Bristnall Hall High School, Oldbury in 1992 Hughes started playing semi-professionally in non-League football with Kidderminster Harriers in the Football Conference, as well...

(West Bromwich Albion) – 31

Nationwide League Division Two

Kevin Keegan completed his spell as Fulham manager before taking the England job by guiding the Cottagers to the Division Two championship with a staggering 101 points. Ray Graydon pulled off a major surprise in his first season as Walsall manager by guiding the Midlands club to automatic promotion. Manchester City, who had been favourites to win the league, had to settle for the play-offs and achieved promotion in dramatic fashion against Gillingham.

Going down were York City, Northampton Town, Lincoln City and Macclesfield Town. Narrowly avoiding the drop to Division Three were Oldham Athletic, who just five years earlier had been a Premiership side who came within a whisker of reaching the FA Cup final.

Pos	Team	Pl	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
1.	Fulham	46	31	8	7	79	32	101
2.	Walsall	46	26	9	11	63	47	87
3.	Manchester City Manchester City F.C. Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...	46	22	16	8	69	33	82
4.	Gillingham Gillingham F.C. Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...	46	22	14	10	75	44	80
5.	Preston North End Preston North End F.C. Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...	46	22	13	11	78	50	79
6.	Wigan Athletic	46	22	10	14	75	48	76
7.	A.F.C. Bournemouth A.F.C. Bournemouth A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....	46	21	13	12	63	41	76
8.	Stoke City Stoke City F.C. Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...	46	21	6	19	59	63	69
9.	Chesterfield Chesterfield F.C. Chesterfield Football Club is an English football club based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The club currently plays in Football League One, the third tier of English football. Despite being the fourth oldest Football League club in England, they have spent most of their existence in the lower...	46	17	13	16	46	44	64
10.	Millwall Millwall F.C. Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...	46	17	11	18	52	59	62
11.	Reading Reading F.C. Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...	46	16	13	17	54	63	61
12.	Luton Town Luton Town F.C. Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...	46	16	10	20	51	60	58
13.	Bristol Rovers	46	13	17	16	65	56	56
14.	Blackpool Blackpool F.C. Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...	46	14	14	18	44	54	56
15.	Burnley Burnley F.C. Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...	46	13	16	17	54	73	55
16.	Notts County Notts County F.C. Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...	46	14	12	20	52	61	54
17.	Wrexham	46	13	14	19	43	62	53
18.	Colchester United Colchester United F.C. Colchester United Football Club is an English football club based in Colchester. The club was formed in 1937, and briefly shared their old Layer Road home with now defunct side Colchester Town who had previously used the ground from 1910....	46	12	16	18	52	70	52
19.	Wycombe Wanderers Wycombe Wanderers F.C. Wycombe Wanderers Football Club is an English professional football team from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, which has been promoted to Football League One after finishing third in Football League Two in the season 2010–11. The club's nicknames are "The Chairboys" and "The Blues", and they play...	46	13	12	21	52	58	51
20.	Oldham Athletic	46	14	9	23	48	66	51
21.	York City	46	13	11	22	56	80	50
22.	Northampton Town	46	10	18	18	43	57	48
23.	Lincoln City Lincoln City F.C. Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....	46	13	7	26	42	74	46
24.	Macclesfield Town Macclesfield Town F.C. Macclesfield Town Football Club is an English football team. The club was formed in 1874 and is based in the town of Macclesfield in Cheshire. The team play its home games at the 6,355 capacity Moss Rose stadium...	46	11	10	25	43	63	43

Key
Promoted to Division 1
Qualified for the promotion playoff
Relegated to Division 3

NB In the Football League goals scored (F) takes precedence over goal difference

Leading goalscorer: Jamie Cureton

Jamie Cureton

Jamie Cureton is an English professional footballer who currently plays for Leyton Orient.-Early years:Cureton began his professional career with Norwich City, before moving on to Bristol Rovers...

(Bristol Rovers) – 25

Nationwide League Division Three

Brentford, Cambridge United, Cardiff City and Scunthorpe United occupied the four promotion places in Division Three.

Carlisle United kept their league status in remarkable fashion. They entered the final game of the season in bottom place, and with 90 minutes on the clock in their home game against Plymouth Argyle they were drawing 1–1 and needed a win to stay up. The referee then allowed 4 minutes of stoppage time and with just seconds to go, goalkeeper Jimmy Glass came upfield and scored from a rebounded corner to preserve his club's place in the league which had been held since 1928. Scarborough, who had only joined the league in 1987, were relegated instead and were replaced by Conference champions Cheltenham Town. Glass, 25, had been signed on loan from Swindon Town after the transfer line because an injury crisis had left Carlisle without a goalkeeper for the final few games of the season.

Pos	Team	Pl	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
1.	Brentford	46	26	7	13	79	56	85
2.	Cambridge United	46	23	12	11	78	48	81
3.	Cardiff City Cardiff city Cardiff City may refer to:* Cardiff city centre* Cardiff City Council* Cardiff City F.C.* Cardiff City L.F.C.* Cardiff City Stadium...	46	22	14	10	60	39	80
4.	Scunthorpe United	46	22	8	16	69	58	74
5.	Rotherham United	46	20	13	13	79	61	73
6.	Leyton Orient	46	19	15	12	68	59	72
7.	Swansea City	46	19	14	13	56	48	71
8.	Mansfield Town	46	19	10	17	60	58	67
9.	Peterborough United	46	18	12	16	72	56	66
10.	Halifax Town	46	17	15	14	58	56	66
11.	Darlington Darlington F.C. Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003...	46	18	11	17	69	58	65
12.	Exeter City	46	17	12	17	47	50	63
13.	Plymouth Argyle Plymouth Argyle F.C. Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...	46	17	10	19	58	54	61
14.	Chester City Chester City F.C. Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...	46	13	18	15	57	66	57
15.	Shrewsbury Town	46	14	14	18	52	63	56
16.	Barnet Barnet F.C. Barnet Football Club is an English football team from High Barnet, London, England, currently playing in Football League Two. The ground is in the town of Barnet within the London Borough of Barnet....	46	14	13	19	54	71	55
17.	Brighton & Hove Albion	46	16	7	23	49	66	55
18.	Southend United Southend United F.C. Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...	46	14	12	20	52	58	54
19.	Rochdale	46	13	15	18	42	55	54
20.	Torquay United	46	12	17	17	47	58	53
21.	Hull City Hull City A.F.C. Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...	46	14	11	21	44	62	53
22.	Hartlepool United	46	13	12	21	52	65	51
23.	Carlisle United Carlisle United F.C. Carlisle United F.C. is an English football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, where they play at Brunton Park. Formed in 1904, the club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system....	46	11	16	19	43	53	49
24.	Scarborough Scarborough F.C. Scarborough Football Club was an English football club based in the seaside resort of Scarborough, North Yorkshire. They were one of the oldest football clubs in England, formed in 1879, before they were wound up on 20 June 2007, with debts of £2.5 million.In the 2006–07 season...	46	14	6	26	50	77	48

Key
Promoted to Division 2
Qualified for the promotion playoff
Relegated to Conference National

NB In the Football League goals scored (F) takes precedence over goal difference

Leading goalscorer: Marco Gabbiadini

Marco Gabbiadini

Marco Gabbiadini is an English former footballer whose career lasted 18 years from 1985 to 2003. He totalled nearly £3 million in transfer fees and played for 12 different clubs, scoring a total of 226 league goals.-York City:...

(Darlington) – 24

Diary of the season

16 July 1998 - Former French national coach

France national football team

The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...

Gerard Houllier

Gérard Houllier

Gérard Houllier, OBE , is a French football manager, who was last manager of Premier League club Aston Villa. He stepped down on 1 June 2011, following hospitalisation over heart problems towards the end of the 2010-2011 season....

is appointed joint manager of Liverpool to work alongside Roy Evans

Roy Evans

Roy Evans CBE was a Liverpool football player who eventually rose through the coaching ranks to become team manager.-Career:...

. It is the first time in the club's 106-year history that two managers have been placed in charge of the first team.

19 July 1998 – Manchester United deny reports that they will be joining a proposed European Super League of up to 32 clubs.

3 August 1998 – Newcastle United pay £5.25million for Germany

Germany national football team

The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....

midfielder Dietmar Hamann

Dietmar Hamann

Dietmar "Didi" Hamann is a German footballer who was most recently manager at Stockport County. Throughout his career, he has played for Bayern Munich, Newcastle United, Liverpool, and Manchester City primarily in a defensive midfield position. He also spent time at Milton Keynes Dons as a...

from Bayern Munich.

9 August 1998 – Arsenal

Arsenal F.C.

claim their third trophy of 1998 with a 3–0 win over Manchester United

Manchester United F.C.

in the Charity Shield.

12 August 1998 – Newcastle United sign Nolberto Solano

Nolberto Solano

Nolberto Albino "Nobby" Solano Todco is a Peruvian footballer who plays for Hartlepool United. He has spent much of his career in the English Premier League and also played 95 times for Peru between 1994 and 2009...

, the Peru

Peru

Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....

vian midfielder, from Boca Juniors

Boca Juniors

Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....

for £2.48million.

15 August 1998 – The Premier League season begins with champions Arsenal beating newly promoted Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest F.C.

Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...

2–1 at Highbury

Arsenal Stadium

Arsenal Stadium was a football stadium in Highbury, North London, which was the home ground of Arsenal Football Club between 6 September 1913 and 7 May 2006...

. Chelsea begin with a surprise 2–1 defeat at Coventry City

Coventry City F.C.

Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...

. Manchester United are held to a 2–2 home draw by Leicester City

Leicester City F.C.

Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...

. Wimbledon

Wimbledon F.C.

Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...

take the lead of the Premier League on the opening day with a 3–1 home win over Tottenham Hotspur. Charlton Athletic

Charlton Athletic F.C.

mark their return to the elite by drawing 0–0 at Newcastle.

20 August 1998 – Manchester United pay a club record £12.6million for Aston Villa striker Dwight Yorke

Dwight Yorke

.

22 August 1998 – Charlton Athletic demolish Southampton

Southampton F.C.

5–0 at The Valley. Tottenham's dismal start continued when they lose 3–0 at home to Sheffield Wednesday

Sheffield Wednesday F.C.

Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...

. Manchester United are held to a draw again, this time 0–0 against West Ham United at Upton Park

Boleyn Ground

The Boleyn Ground, more commonly referred to as Upton Park due to its location in Upton Park, London is the football stadium of West Ham United.-History:...

. Newcastle United lose 4–1 at home to Liverpool.

27 August 1998 – Kenny Dalglish

Kenny Dalglish

Kenneth Mathieson "Kenny" Dalglish MBE is a Scottish former footballer and the current manager of Liverpool F.C.. In a 22-year playing career, he played for two club teams, Celtic and Liverpool, winning numerous honours with both. He is the most capped Scottish player, with 102 appearances, and...

is sacked after 19 months as manager of Newcastle United

Newcastle United F.C.

.

31 August 1998 – Newcastle

Newcastle United F.C.

appoint Ruud Gullit

Ruud Gullit

OON is a Dutch football manager and former football player, who played professionally in the 1980s and 1990s. He was the captain of the Netherlands national team that was victorious at Euro 88 and was also a member of the squad for the 1990 World Cup. He was named the European Footballer of the...

as their new manager, the day before his 36th birthday. The first month of the league season ends with newly promoted Charlton Athletic top of the Premier League, but the end-of-month table has little significance as only two games have been played so far. Sunderland

Sunderland A.F.C.

Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...

head the race for a place in next season's Premier League as Division One leaders, with Wolverhampton Wanderers

Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.

Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...

in second place. Hopes are high of a successful season for midlands clubs as West Bromwich Albion

West Bromwich Albion F.C.

West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...

are third and Birmingham City

Birmingham City F.C.

Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...

stand fourth. Norwich City

Norwich City F.C.

Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...

, rebuilding under new manager Bruce Rioch

Bruce Rioch

Bruce David Rioch is an English-born football manager and former player. He was manager of Aalborg BK in the Danish Superliga, until his sacking on 23 October 2008....

occupy fifth, while the top six is completed by a Watford

Watford F.C.

side who are searching for a second successive promotion. Just outside the playoff zone are Bury

Bury F.C.

, whose excellent start to the season has sparked speculation that they might match Swansea City and Wimbledon's

Wimbledon F.C.

record of three promotions in four seasons.

5 September 1998 – Christian Gross

Christian Gross

Christian Gross is a professional football coach and former player who currently manages Young Boys Bern. Before that he managed VfB Stuttgart until his dismissal in October 2010. He was manager of FC Basel from 1 July 1999 to 27 May 2009.-Playing career:Gross began his playing career at...

is sacked after nine months as manager of Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

.

8 September 1998 – Aston Villa pay Middlesbrough £6.75million for midfielder Paul Merson

Paul Merson

Paul Charles Merson is a retired English football player, and former player-manager of Walsall. His playing career has included spells at Arsenal, Middlesbrough, Aston Villa, Portsmouth and finishing his playing career at Tamworth. He also played for England 21 times...

.

9 September 1998 –

- – An inquest
  Inquest
  Inquests in England and Wales are held into sudden and unexplained deaths and also into the circumstances of discovery of a certain class of valuable artefacts known as "treasure trove"...
  
  records a verdict of suicide on former Norwich City
  Norwich City F.C.
  Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
  
  and Nottingham Forest
  Nottingham Forest F.C.
  Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
  
  striker Justin Fashanu
  Justin Fashanu
  Justinus Soni "Justin" Fashanu was an English footballer who played for a variety of clubs between 1978 and 1997. He was known by his early clubs to be homosexual, and came out to the press later in his career, to become the first professional footballer to be openly gay...
  
  , who was found hanged at a lock-up garage in London four months ago.
  - – Manchester United record a Premier League win at the fourth attempt by beating Charlton Athletic 4–1 at Old Trafford
    Old Trafford
    Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
    
    . Wimbledon continue their recent resurgence with a 4–3 win at West Ham.
    - – Manchester United
      Manchester United F.C.
      Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
      
      accepts a £623.4million takeover bid from BSkyB.

12 September 1998 –

- -Arsenal sign Swedish
  Sweden
  Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
  
  midfielder Freddie Ljungberg from Halmstad
  Halmstad
  Halmstad is a port, university, industrial and recreational city at the mouth of Nissan in the province of Halland on the Swedish west coast. Halmstad is the seat of Halmstad Municipality and the capital of Halland County...
  
  for £3million.
  - – Tottenham's dismal start to the season continues as they lose 3–0 at home to newly promoted Middlesbrough
    Middlesbrough F.C.
    Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
    
    .

19 September 1998 – Newcastle United show signs of a return to their old form with a 5–1 away win over Coventry City. Newly promoted Charlton Athletic hold Liverpool to a 3–3 draw at Anfield

Anfield

Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...

.

20 September 1998 – Arsenal beat Manchester United 3–0 in the league at Highbury – the fourth defeat they have inflicted upon Alex Ferguson's

Alex Ferguson

Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...

team in less than a year.

23 September 1998 – Everton

Everton F.C.

Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...

sign 22-year-old goalkeeper Steve Simonsen

Steve Simonsen

Steven Preben Arthur "Steve" Simonsen is an English footballer who plays for Sheffield United as a goalkeeper. Born in South Shields, Tyne and Wear he started his senior career at Tranmere Rovers before spells with Everton and Stoke City...

from Tranmere Rovers

Tranmere Rovers F.C.

Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...

for £3.3million.

30 September 1998 – September ends with Aston Villa as Premier League leaders 5 points above second-placed Derby County are putting up a surprise title challenge after being predicted by many to struggle in the battle against relegation. Manchester United, Liverpool and Wimbledon complete the top five. Southampton prop up the top flight with one point from their opening six games, while Coventry City and Blackburn Rovers completing the relegation zone. Sunderland remain top of Division One, level on points with surprise promotion challengers Huddersfield Town. Bolton Wanderers

Bolton Wanderers F.C.

Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....

, Watford, Birmingham City and Norwich City occupy the playoff places, while surprise promotion contenders Bury are keeping up the pressure on the top six.

1 October 1998 – George Graham

George Graham (footballer)

George Graham is a Scottish former football player and manager. He is best remembered for his success at Arsenal, as a player in the 1970s and then as manager from 1986 until 1995.-Early life:...

quits Leeds United

Leeds United A.F.C.

Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...

after two years as manager to take over at Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

.

3 October 1998 – Middlesbrough's fine return to the top flight continues with a 4–0 home win over Sheffield Wednesday.

9 October 1998 – Everton sign Ivory Coast striker Ibrahima Bakayoko

Ibrahima Bakayoko

Ibrahima Bakayoko is an Ivorian footballer who plays as a striker for PAS Giannina in the Greek Superleague.-Club career:...

from Montpellier

Montpellier

-Neighbourhoods:Since 2001, Montpellier has been divided into seven official neighbourhoods, themselves divided into sub-neighbourhoods. Each of them possesses a neighbourhood council....

for £4.5million.

15 October 1998 – Steve Watson

Steve Watson

Steven Craig "Steve" Watson is a former English footballer, who retired after being released by Sheffield Wednesday on 15 May 2009. As of November 13, 2010, he is the Development Coach at Football League One side Huddersfield Town.-Playing career:Watson began his career with Newcastle United,...

, Newcastle United's longest serving player (who joined the club on leaving school in 1990), is sold to Aston Villa for £4.5million.

25 October 1998 – Leicester City confirm that manager Martin O'Neill

Martin O'Neill

Martin Hugh Michael O'Neill, OBE, is a Northern Irish football manager and former player.Until resigning the post on 9 August 2010, he was manager of Aston Villa. Starting his career in his native Northern Ireland, O'Neill moved to England where he spent most of his playing career with Nottingham...

will not be moving to Leeds United. Caretaker David O'Leary

David O'Leary

David Anthony O'Leary is an Irish football manager and former player. His managerial career began at Leeds United and later he managed Aston Villa. He most recently worked as the manager of Al-Ahli Dubai...

, formerly assistant manager at Elland Road

Elland Road

Elland Road is an all-seater football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C...

, gets the manager's job on a permanent basis.

28 October 1998 – Chelsea player-manager Gianluca Vialli

Gianluca Vialli

Gianluca Vialli is an Italian football manager and former player. Since retiring, he has gone into management and punditry and is a commentator for Sky Sport Italia....

scores a hat-trick in the 4–1 League Cup third round win over Aston Villa. Making his debut as a late substitute is 17-year-old defender John Terry

John Terry

John George Terry is an English professional footballer. Terry plays in a centre back position and is the captain of Chelsea in the Premier League...

. On the same day, striker Brian Laudrup's

Brian Laudrup

Brian Laudrup is a Danish former football player and current football commentator, pundit and analyst on TV3+. Along with former international goalkeeper Lars Høgh, Laudrup manages a football academy for marginalized youth...

departure from Chelsea is announced after just four months at the club.

31 October 1998 – Ron Reeves, a 55-year-old steward, is killed outside Highfield Road stadium after being crushed by the Arsenal

Arsenal F.C.

team coach just before a game with Coventry City

Coventry City F.C.

Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...

. The month ends with Aston Villa still top, a point ahead of second placed Manchester United, while Arsenal are close behind in third place. A wide gap is beginning to open up between the top three and the rest of the division, with Liverpool, Middlesbrough, Chelsea, Leicester City and West Ham United putting up the nearest competition. Southampton, still only with one win to their name, occupy bottom place and are joined in the relegation zone by Coventry City and Nottingham Forest. Sunderland and Huddersfield Town continue to head the race for Premier League football, with the top six being completed by Birmingham City, Ipswich Town

Ipswich Town F.C.

Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....

, Watford and Norwich City. Grimsby Town

Grimsby Town F.C.

Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...

(eighth) have emerged as surprise contenders for a second successive promotion, but Bury's challenge is falling away and they now occupy 15th place. Wolverhampton Wanderers fare little better after their dismial start to the season, now occupying 12th place.

5 November 1998: Wolverhampton Wanderers sack manager Mark McGhee

Mark McGhee

Mark Edward McGhee is a former Scottish professional football player. McGhee started his career at Greenock Morton in 1975 and spent spells at clubs including Newcastle United, Aberdeen, Hamburg, Celtic, IK Brage and Reading...

after three years at the helm.

12 November 1998 – Peter Schmeichel

Peter Schmeichel

Peter Bolesław Schmeichel MBE is a retired Danish professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, and was voted the "World's Best Goalkeeper" in 1992 and 1993...

, goalkeeper of Manchester United since 1991, announces his intention to leave the club at the end of this season. Roy Evans resigns as joint manager of Liverpool after nearly five years in charge and more than 30 years on the club's payroll, leaving Gerard Houllier in sole charge.

14 November 1998 – Colchester United

Colchester United F.C.

Colchester United Football Club is an English football club based in Colchester. The club was formed in 1937, and briefly shared their old Layer Road home with now defunct side Colchester Town who had previously used the ground from 1910....

fall victim to arguably the biggest upset of the FA Cup fourth round when they are crushed 4–1 by non-league Bedlington Terriers. Other Football League clubs to be eliminated by non-league counterparts include Barnet

Barnet F.C.

Barnet Football Club is an English football team from High Barnet, London, England, currently playing in Football League Two. The ground is in the town of Barnet within the London Borough of Barnet....

, Southend United

Southend United F.C.

Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...

and Shrewsbury Town

Shrewsbury Town F.C.

Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...

.

21 November 1998 – Blackburn Rovers lose 2–0 at home to Southampton, leaving them bottom of the Premier League with a mere nine points from their opening 14 games. Manager Roy Hodgson

Roy Hodgson

resigns within hours of the defeat. Long-serving coach Tony Parkes

Tony Parkes

Anthony "Tony" Parkes is an English former professional footballer. After retiring, he became a coach. He was most recently caretaker manager at Blackpool. It was the seventh such role of his coaching career, having performed the role on six occasions for...

is put in charge of the first team on a temporary basis. On the same day, Manchester United suffer a shock 3–1 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday.

30 November 1998 – November draws to a close with Aston Villa still leading Manchester United by a single point, but a surprise title challenge is creeping upon them from a West Ham United side with no previous top division titles to their name, and who haven't finished in the top five for more than a decade. Arsenal and Chelsea complete the top five. Blackburn Rovers now prop up the top flight, having started the season among the teams tipped by many to challenge for the title. Southampton and Nottingham Forest remain in the drop zone. Sunderland continue to lead Division One, their nearest threat coming from Ipswich Town. Watford, Birmingham City, Bolton Wanderers and Sheffield United complete the top six, with Wolverhampton Wanderers providing the closest competition for the top six after a rejuvenation under new manager Colin Lee

Colin Lee

Colin Lee is an English football manager and former footballer. He is currently Chief Executive of League Two side Torquay United and President of Buckfastleigh Rangers Football & Social Club.-Playing career:...

.

4 December 1998 – Brian Kidd

Brian Kidd

Brian Kidd is an English football coach and former player, who is currently Assistant Manager to Roberto Mancini at Manchester City....

steps down as Manchester United

Manchester United F.C.

assistant manager to succeed Roy Hodgson

Roy Hodgson

as manager of Blackburn Rovers

Blackburn Rovers F.C.

.

5 December 1998 – Blackburn beat Charlton 1–0 in their first game under Brian Kidd at Ewood Park

Ewood Park

Ewood Park is a football stadium in the English town of Blackburn, Lancashire, and is the home of Blackburn Rovers Football Club — one of the founder members of the Football League and Premier League. Rovers have played there since they moved from Leamington Street in the summer of 1890. The...

.

8 December 1998 – Five years after leaving them from Blackburn Rovers, David Batty

David Batty

David Batty is an English retired professional footballer, who played as a defensive midfielder....

returns to Leeds United in a £4.4million move from Newcastle United.

16 December 1998 – Brian McClair

Brian McClair

Brian John McClair is a former Scottish international football player who played as a forward, notable for his near 11-year spell at Manchester United, as well as important tenures at Scottish clubs Celtic and Motherwell...

, who was among the names linked with succeeding Brian Kidd as assistant manager at Manchester United, is ironically appointed as Kidd's assistant at Blackburn.

19 December 1998 – Manchester United lost 3–2 at home to Middlesbrough – their first home defeat for nine months. United are managed by coach Jimmy Ryan, as Alex Ferguson misses the game on compassionate grounds following the death of his sister-in-law, and United have yet to find a permanent successor to Brian Kidd as assistant manager.

23 December 1998 – The Independent

The Independent

The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...

reports that up to 10 Premier League clubs could break away to join a European Super League if the Premier League loses its forthcoming High Court

High Court of Justice

The High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...

case with the Office of Fair Trading

Office of Fair Trading

The Office of Fair Trading is a not-for-profit and non-ministerial government department of the United Kingdom, established by the Fair Trading Act 1973, which enforces both consumer protection and competition law, acting as the UK's economic regulator...

. The case will see the Office of Fair Trading bring a case against the Football League, BSkyB and the BBC

BBC

The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...

in the hope of ending collective bargaining for television deals by Premier League clubs.

26 December 1998 – The key drama on Boxing Day

Boxing Day

Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as...

sees defender Ronny Johnsen

Ronny Johnsen

Jean Ronny Johnsen is a former Norwegian football player. He played as a centre back or defensive midfielder, but was often sidelined because of his many injuries.-Career:...

score twice in Manchester United's 3–0 home win over Nottingham Forest,

30 December 1998 – French defender Didier Domi

Didier Domi

Didier Arsène Marcel Domi is a French footballer.-Career:A former French youth and Under-21 international, Domi joined Paris Saint-Germain as a trainee in 1994, and made his debut in January 1996...

joins Newcastle United in a £4million move from Paris St Germain.

31 December 1998 – 1998 draws to a close with Aston Villa still leading the Premier League, but with Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal, Leeds United and West Ham United all posing a fairly close threat. Nottingham Forest, Southampton and Charlton Athletic occupy the bottom three places. Sunderland and Ipswich Town continue to lead the way in the race for a Premier League place, with the playoff zone being occupied by Birmingham City, Bolton Wanderers, Watford and an ever-improving Bradford City

Bradford City A.F.C.

Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....

.

4 January 1999 – Arsenal began their defence of the FA Cup by beating Preston North End 2–0 in the third round at Deepdale

Deepdale

Deepdale is a stadium in the Deepdale area of Preston, England, the home of Preston North End F.C. and, up to 2010, England's National Football Museum. Preston North End are one of the founder members of the Football League.- History :...

, while last year's runners-up Newcastle United win 2–1 at home to Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace F.C.

Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...

. Manchester United, many people's favourites for the trophy, get off to a good start in the competition by beating Middlesbrough 3–1 at Old Trafford. However, Leeds United are held to a goalless draw at Conference side Rushden and Diamonds.

5 January 1999 – Nottingham Forest, bottom of the Premier League and winless for 17 games, sack manager Dave Bassett

Dave Bassett

David Bassett , also frequently known by his nickname of Harry, is an English football manager and a former player....

after less than two years in charge. Micky Adams

Micky Adams

Michael Richard "Micky" Adams is an English former professional footballer turned football manager who is in charge of League Two side Port Vale. As a player he was a full back, and made a total of 438 league appearances in a nineteen year professional career in the Football League, including five...

, former Swansea City and Brentford manager, is placed in temporary charge of Forest.

6 January 1999 – Derby County assistant manager Steve McClaren

Steve McClaren

Stephen "Steve" McClaren is an English football manager and former player.McClaren was previously manager of VfL Wolfsburg in Germany between May 2010 and February 2011, having left his post at Dutch side FC Twente, with whom he won the club's first Eredivisie championship in the 2009–10 season...

is named as Manchester United's new assistant manager.

8 January 1999 – 15-year-old Notts County

Notts County F.C.

Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...

schoolboy forward Jermaine Pennant

Jermaine Pennant

Jermaine Lloyd Pennant is a footballer who plays for Stoke City in the Premier League.Born in Nottingham, Pennant played for his local side Notts County as a youngster. He earned promising reviews in the youth team at County and Arsenal signed him in 1999...

signs for Arsenal's

Arsenal F.C.

academy in a £2million deal.

9 January 1999 – The first Premier League games of 1999 include Coventry City's 4–0 home win over Nottingham Forest – the 18th successive league game that the visitors have failed to win. Southampton beat fellow relegation strugglers Charlton Athletic 3–1 at The Dell.

11 January 1999 – Ron Atkinson

Ron Atkinson

Ronald Ernest Atkinson, commonly known as "Big Ron" and "Bojangles" is an English former football player and manager. In recent years he has become one of Britain's best-known football pundits...

is appointed manager of Nottingham Forest until the end of the season.

13 January 1999 – Leeds United avoid what would have been one of the biggest FA Cup upsets of modern times and beat Rushden and Diamonds 3–1 in the third round replay at Elland Road

Elland Road

Elland Road is an all-seater football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C...

.

14 January 1999 – Wimbledon

Wimbledon F.C.

pay a club record £7.5million for West Ham United

West Ham United F.C.

West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...

striker John Hartson

John Hartson

John Hartson is a former Welsh international footballer who played as a striker, best known for his spells with West Ham and Celtic. Hartson also featured prominently for Wales, earning 51 caps until his international retirement in 2006...

, who six months ago was a transfer target for Manchester United.

16 January 1999 – Two high scoring games in the Premier League see Manchester United beat Leicester City 6–2 at Filbert Street

Filbert Street

Filbert Street, in Leicester, England, was a football stadium, and the home of Leicester City from 1891 to 2002. Although officially titled "The City Business Stadium" in the early 1990s, it remained known almost exclusively by its address, like many English football stadia.- Early years :The club,...

, while Liverpool beat Southampton 7–1 at Anfield.

18 January 1999 – Bryan Kidd boosts his Blackburn Rovers side in their battle against relegation by signing Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace F.C.

striker Matt Jansen

Matt Jansen

Matthew Brooke "Matt" Jansen is an English footballer, who plays as a striker and currently plays for Chorley. He started his career with hometown club Carlisle United, and also played for Crystal Palace, Blackburn Rovers and Bolton Wanderers as well as a loan spell with Coventry City. He won six...

for £4.1million.

23 January 1999 – Aston Villa suffer a shock FA Cup exit at home to Division Two leaders Fulham in the fourth round.

24 January 1999 – Two late goals see Manchester United overturn Liverpool's 1–0 lead and win 2–1 in the fourth round tie at Old Trafford.

25 January 1999 – Cash-strapped Division One strugglers Oxford United

Oxford United F.C.

hold Chelsea to an impressive 1–1 draw at the Manor Ground.

27 January 1999 – Two midfielders change clubs for £4million – Marc-Vivien Foé

Marc-Vivien Foé

Marc-Vivien Foé was a Cameroonian international footballer, who played in midfield for both club and country. With success in the French League, and stints in the English Premier League, his sudden death, while in the middle of an international competitive fixture, came as a shock to the worldwide...

from RC Lens

RC Lens

Racing Club de Lens is a French association football club based in the northern city of Lens in the Pas-de-Calais department. Its nickname, sang et or , comes from its traditional colours of red and gold. Their primary rivals are their northern neighbors Lille OSC, whom they contest the Derby du...

to West Ham United and Jason McAteer

Jason McAteer

Jason Wynne McAteer is a retired Irish footballer, who represented the Republic of Ireland at international level. He announced his retirement from professional football on 12 June 2007,...

from Liverpool to Blackburn Rovers.

28 January 1999 – Steve McManaman

Steve McManaman

Steven McManaman is a retired English footballer who played as a midfielder, winger and playmaker. Having spent his playing career at two of European football's most successful clubs of the 20th century, Liverpool and Real Madrid, as well as a spell at Manchester City, McManaman is the most...

agrees to sign for Real Madrid

Real Madrid

Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...

from Liverpool

Liverpool F.C.

Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...

at the end of the season.

30 January 1999 – Glenn Hoddle

Glenn Hoddle

Glenn Hoddle is an English former footballer and manager who played as an attacking midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur, AS Monaco, Chelsea and Swindon Town and at international level for England....

appears in an interview in the Sunday Times, in which he suggests that disabled people are paying for their sins in a previous life. Nottingham Forest end their 19-match winless run in the league with a 1–0 away win over Everton.

31 January 1999 – January ends with Manchester United now top of the Premier League, but former leaders Aston Villa still only a point behind bracketed on points with Chelsea. Arsenal, meanwhile, have crept into the title frame and now stand fourth – just two points off the top. West Ham United's challenge has crumbled and they now stand ninth, with 11 points separating them from top spot. Nottingham Forest, meanwhile, have gone from bad to worse and now prop up the table. They are joined in the drop zone by Southampton and Charlton Athletic after Brian Kidd guided Blackburn Rovers out of the bottom three. Sunderland and Bradford City lead the way in Division One, with Bolton Wanderers, Ipswich Town, Watford and Birmingham City completing the top six. Grimsby Town are back in form and giving the top six a serious run for their money.

2 February 1999 – Glenn Hoddle is sacked as England manager two days after his controversial remarks.

3 February 1999 – Oxford United's luck in the FA Cup runs out when they crash 4–2 to Chelsea in the fourth round replay at Stamford Bridge

Stamford Bridge (stadium)

Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, and is the home of Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green and is often referred to as simply The Bridge...

.

6 February 1999 – Manchester United record the highest ever away win in the Premier League by beating Nottingham Forest 8–1 at the City Ground

City Ground

The City Ground is a football stadium in the West Bridgford area of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, on the banks of the River Trent. It has been home to Nottingham Forest Football Club since 1898, and has a capacity of 30,602 ....

. Substitute Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scores four times.

28 February 1999 – February draws to a close with Manchester United now top of the Premier League four points, although nearest rivals Chelsea have a game in hand. Arsenal, Aston Villa and Leeds United complete the top five. Nottingham Forest remain bottom and are now 10 points adrift of safety, while Southampton remain in the bottom three but Charlton Athletic have jumped clear at the expense of Blackburn Rovers. Sunderland are still top of Division One, their nearest competition coming from Bradford City and Ipswich Town who are level on points. Bolton Wanderers, Birmingham City and Watford complete the top six. Wolverhampton Wanderers, Grimsby Town and West Bromwich Albion continue to keep up the pressure in the push for a playoff place.

5 March 1999 – Former Doncaster Rovers chairman Ken Richardson is sentenced to four years in prison for paying a friend to start a fire at the club's Belle Vue

Belle Vue (football)

Belle Vue was the home of English professional football club Doncaster Rovers from 1922 to 2006. The ground was affectionately called by fans as 'Old Belle Vue' or OBV.-History:...

ground in 1995. The arsonist, 41-year-old Alan Kristiansen, receives a one-year prison sentence, while two other men receive suspended sentences for their part in the fire, which caused £100,000 worth of damage.

7 March 1999 – Manchester United draw 0–0 with Chelsea in the FA Cup quarter-final at Old Trafford, with Paul Scholes

Paul Scholes

Paul Scholes is a retired English footballer, a one-club man who played his entire professional career for Manchester United.Born in Salford, but later moving to Langley, Scholes excelled in both cricket and football in school. He first trained with Manchester United at the age of 14 after being...

being sent off for United and Roberto Di Matteo

Roberto Di Matteo

Roberto Di Matteo is a Swiss-born Italian former professional footballer and the current assistant manager of Chelsea. As a midfielder, he enjoyed spells at Schaffhausen, Zürich Aarau, Lazio, and Chelsea. He was capped by Italy 34 times, scoring two goals for the Italian national team, and played...

for Chelsea in a game which kicked off just hours after the death was announced of legendary former United striker Dennis Violett from cancer at the age of 65.

10 March 1999 – Dwight Yorke

Dwight Yorke

keeps Manchester United in line for the treble as he scores both their goals in the 2–0 quarter-final replay win at Chelsea.

11 March 1999 – Aston Villa sign midfielder Steve Stone

Steve Stone (footballer)

Steven Brian "Steve" Stone is an English former footballer and now part of the coaching staff at Newcastle United.-Club career:...

from Nottingham Forest for £5.5million.

13 March 1999 – Nottingham Forest keep their faint survival hopes alive with a 3–1 away win over Wimbledon, only their third league win of the season.

16 March 1999 – Barnsley, the only non Premier League team to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals, bow out at Oakwell when David Ginola

David Ginola

David Karl Ginola is a French former international football player who has also worked as an actor and model.Ginola was born in Gassin, Var...

scores the only goal of the game for Tottenham Hotspur, who remain in contention for a cup double.

17 March 1999 – The Monopolies and Mergers Commission vetoes BSkyB's takeover of Manchester United.

21 March 1999 – Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

end their eight-year wait for a major trophy (and European qualification) thanks to a 1–0 win over Leicester City

Leicester City F.C.

Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...

in the League Cup

Football League Cup

final.

22 March 1999 – Blackburn Rovers pay Derby County £3.4million for midfielder Lee Carsley

Lee Carsley

Lee Kevin Carsley is a former professional footballer who played in the Football League and Premier League for Derby County, Blackburn Rovers, Coventry City, Everton and Birmingham City. Although English by birth, he represented the Republic of Ireland internationally...

.

31 March 1999 – March ends with Manchester United still top of the Premier League by a four-point margin, with Arsenal and Chelsea as their nearest contenders. Leeds United, occupying fourth place, are still within a shout of the league title. West Ham United complete the top five, competing with most of the rest of the "safe" Premier League teams for a UEFA Cup place. Nottingham Forest's dreadful run of form has continued and they now need a miracle to escape relegation. Charlton Athletic and Southampton complete the bottom three. Sunderland are now 12 points ahead of their nearest rivals Ipswich Town at the top of Division One. Bradford City, Birmingham City and Bolton Wanderers remain in the playoff zone, where they are joined by a Wolverhampton Wanderers side whose form is continuing to improve.

11 April 1999 – Manchester United and Arsenal, competing head to head for both the Premier League title and the FA Cup, draw 0–0 at Villa Park

Villa Park

Villa Park may mean:United Kingdom* Villa Park, an association football stadium in Birmingham, EnglandUnited States* Villa Park, California, a small city in Orange County* Villa Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago in DuPage County...

in the FA Cup semi-final. In other semi-final, at Old Trafford

Old Trafford

Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...

, two goals in extra time from Alan Shearer

Alan Shearer

Alan Shearer OBE, DL is a retired English footballer. He played as a striker in the top level of English league football for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and for the England national team...

send Newcastle United through to the final for the second year running and spell an end to Tottenham's hopes of a cup double.

14 April 1999 – One of the most thrilling games so far this season sees Manchester United beat Arsenal 2–1 in extra time in the FA Cup semi-final replay. United had taken the lead after 17th minutes thanks to David Beckham

David Beckham

David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE is an English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C...

, only for Dennis Bergkamp

Dennis Bergkamp

Dennis Nicolaas Bergkamp , is a former Dutch professional footballer who is currently the assistant manager to Frank de Boer at Ajax. At club level he played for Ajax, Internazionale, and Arsenal, and also represented the Netherlands at international level...

to equalise after 69 minutes. Bergkamp could have won the game for Arsenal with just a minute remaining, but Peter Schmeichel

Peter Schmeichel

Peter Bolesław Schmeichel MBE is a retired Danish professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, and was voted the "World's Best Goalkeeper" in 1992 and 1993...

saved his penalty shot and forced extra time, in which Ryan Giggs

Ryan Giggs

Ryan Joseph Giggs OBE is a Welsh professional footballer who plays for Manchester United. Giggs made his first appearance for the club during the 1990–91 season and has been a regular player since the 1991–92 season...

won it for United with a spectacular 109th minute goal.

21 April 1999 – Manchester United reach their first European Cup final for 31 years – and only their second of all time – by recording a 4–3 aggregate win over Juventus. They won 3–2 in tonight's clash in Turin

Turin

Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...

, having been 2–0 down at half-time. They drew 1–1 in the first leg at Old Trafford

Old Trafford

on 7 April.

23 April 1999 – UEFA

UEFA

The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....

rejects calls from English clubs for four, rather than three, Champions League qualification places to be available for next season's competition – this will only happen in the unlikely event of Manchester United winning the European Cup next month and finishing outside the top three of the Premier League.

24 April 1999 – Nottingham Forest's Premier League relegation is confirmed with a 2–0 defeat to Aston Villa, after which manager Ron Atkinson announces that he will retire at the end of this season.

30 April 1999 – April draws to a close with Arsenal now leading the Premier League, but Manchester United are a point behind with a game in hand. Chelsea and Leeds United remain in distant contention, while the final European place is being contested by Aston Villa, West Ham United, Middlesbrough, Derby County, Liverpool and Leicester City. Nottingham Forest's inevitable relegation has now been confirmed, with Southampton, Charlton Athletic, Blackburn Rovers, Coventry City, Everton and Sheffield Wednesday all in the battle of avoid going down as well. Sunderland are definitely in the Premier League next season, as champions of Division One. Bradford City and Ipswich Town are level on points in the race for second place, with Birmingham City now the only team who can catch either of them. Bolton Wanderers and Wolverhampton Wanderers complete the top six, but Watford are pushing hard for a playoff place.

6 May 1999 – Blackburn Rovers

Blackburn Rovers F.C.

are relegated to Division One

Football League First Division

just four years after being Premier League champions.

8 May 1999 – On-loan goalkeeper Jimmy Glass

Jimmy Glass

James "Jimmy" Glass is a former football goalkeeper. Glass is remembered for scoring the last-minute goal which kept Carlisle United in the Football League in 1999...

scored an injury-time winner for Carlisle United

Carlisle United F.C.

on the final day of the season to save their Football League status, and relegate Scarborough

Scarborough F.C.

to the Conference

Football Conference

The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...

.

9 May 1999 – Sunderland's 2–1 win over Birmingham City on the final day of the Division One season has given them an English league record of 105 points this season. They will be joined in the elite next season by Bradford City, whose second place finish has given them top flight football for the first time since 1922. Ipswich Town, Birmingham City, Watford and Bolton Wanderers will contest the playoffs. Meanwhile, Manchester United go back on top of the Premier League with a 1–0 win at Middlesbrough.

11 May 1999 – Arsenal lose their penultimate league game of the season 1–0 at Leeds United, losing their chance to go top of the Premier League – meaning that a win for Manchester United against Blackburn Rovers on Thursday will make it almost certain (regardless of final day results) that the league title will return to Old Trafford.

13 May 1999 – Manchester United are held to a goalless draw by former assistant manager Brian Kidd's Blackburn at Ewood Park

Ewood Park

– a result which confirms Blackburn's relegation (just four years after being champions) and allows the title destiny to remain firmly in United's hands.

16 May 1999 – Manchester United clinch their fifth Premier League title in seven seasons after beating Tottenham 2–1 at home on the final day of the season, rendering Arsenal's 1–0 home win over Aston Villa useless. Third placed Chelsea beat Derby County 2–1, while Leeds United end David O'Leary's first season in management in fourth place with a 2–2 draw at Coventry. West Ham's 4–0 home win over Middlesbrough secures them a fifth place finish and a UEFA Cup

UEFA Cup

The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...

place, their highest finish for 13 years and their first European campaign in 19 years. The last relegation place goes to Charlton Athletic, who lose 1–0 at home to 12th placed Sheffield Wednesday, while Southampton confirm their survival with a 2–0 win over Everton.

18 May 1999 – Liverpool sign Finnish

Finland

Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...

defender Sami Hyppia from Dutch side Willem II for £3million.

22 May 1999 – Manchester United complete a unique third 'double' of the league title and FA Cup with a 2–0 win over Newcastle United at Wembley. Paul Scholes

Paul Scholes

opens the scoring in the 11th minute and Teddy Sheringham

Teddy Sheringham

adds to United's tally in the 53rd minute. In four days time they will be competing in the European Cup final to challenge for a unique treble.

26 May 1999 – Two late goals (the equaliser from Teddy Sheringham

Teddy Sheringham

and the winner from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer) save Manchester United from the jaws of defeat and they beat Bayern Munich 2–1 in the European Cup

UEFA Champions League

final at the Nou Camp to complete a unique treble.

30 May 1999 – Watford seal promotion to the Premier League with a 2–0 win over Bolton Wanderers in the Division One playoff final at Wembley. They are first team since Notts County

Notts County F.C.

in 1991 to reach the top flight with two successive promotions.

31 May 1999 – Two late goals save Manchester City from the jaws of defeat as they pull Gillingham F.C.

Gillingham F.C.

back to 2–2 in the Division Two Play-Off Final at Wembley. They go on to win 3–1 on penalties to attain their first promotion in 10 years.

12 June 1999 – Alex Ferguson

Alex Ferguson

Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...

receives a knighthood just over two weeks after guiding Manchester United to the treble.

Famous Debutants

The season saw several future England players make their first-team debuts.

Steven Gerrard
Steven Gerrard
Steven George Gerrard MBE is an English footballer who plays for and captains Premier League club Liverpool. He also has 89 caps for the England national team. He has played much of his career in a centre midfielder role, but he has also been used as a second striker and right winger...

, 18, appears as a late substitute for Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...

in their win over Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....

in November 1998, starting a long career at the heart of the Reds first-team.
Future England defender Wayne Bridge
Wayne Bridge
Wayne Michael Bridge is an English footballer who plays as a left back for Manchester City.A graduate of the Southampton Academy where he made his debut in 1998, he has also played for Chelsea and Fulham during his Premiership career....

makes his first-team debut for Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...

in their 2–1 home loss to Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...

in August 1998.
19-year old Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...

goalkeeper Paul Robinson
Paul Robinson (goalkeeper)
Paul William Robinson is an English footballer who plays for Blackburn Rovers as a goalkeeper in the Premier League. He had also been an England international and he earned 41 caps between 2003 and 2007 before his retirement from international football in August 2010.He joined Leeds United at 16...

enjoys several first-team appearances, the first being a goalless draw with Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...

in October 1998.
Robinson's Leeds team-mate Alan Smith, 18, made an immediate impact at Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...

the following month, coming off the bench to score almost instantly.
Jonathan Woodgate
Jonathan Woodgate
Jonathan Simon Woodgate is an English footballer who plays for Stoke City in the Premier League.Woodgate started his football career at Leeds United where he established himself in the starting eleven. However, Woodgate was sold to Newcastle United for £9 million in January 2003. He impressed...

, 18, plays for Leeds in their 1–1 draw with Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...

in October 1998 and ends the season as part of the England side.
Defender John Terry
John Terry
John George Terry is an English professional footballer. Terry plays in a centre back position and is the captain of Chelsea in the Premier League...

, 17, plays for Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...

for the first time in the final minutes of a Football League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...

win over Aston Villa in October 1998.

Retirements

Steve Nicol
Steve Nicol
Stephen "Steve" Nicol is a Scottish former professional footballer. A utility player who played in the all-conquering Liverpool team of the 1980s, he was most recently coach of New England Revolution, and was the longest-tenured head coach in MLS to coach a single club.As a player, Nicol was a...

, 37, retires from playing after a season at Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...

, after his efforts to get them back into the Football League from the Conference
Football Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...

proved unsuccessful.
Ian Rush
Ian Rush
Ian James Rush, MBE, is a retired football player from Flint, Wales. He is best remembered as a player for Liverpool, where he was among the top strikers in the English game in the 1980s and 1990s. He also had spells playing at Chester City, Juventus, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sheffield...

, 37, retires from playing after a season at Wrexham in Division Two.
Steve Bruce
Steve Bruce
Stephen Roger "Steve" Bruce is an English football manager and former player. Born in Corbridge, Northumberland, he was a promising schoolboy footballer but was rejected by a number of professional clubs. He was on the verge of quitting the game altogether when he was offered a trial with Gillingham...

, 38, Sheffield United player-manager, made his last professional appearance on 28 November 1998 and officially announced his retirement as a player on 24 May 1999.
Chris Waddle
Chris Waddle
Christopher Roland "Chris" Waddle is a former footballer from England. He played for a number of clubs in the 1980s and 90s, including Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Sheffield Wednesday in England, and Olympique de Marseille in France...

, 37, left Torquay United
Torquay United F.C.
Torquay United Football Club, nicknamed the Gulls, are an English association football club based in the tourist resort town of Torquay, Devon. They played in the Conference National in 2008–09, but were promoted to Football League Two after a 2–0 win over Cambridge United on 17 May 2009 at Wembley...

on 3 November 1998 after a seven-match spell with the Division Three club.
Steve Bull
Steve Bull
Stephen George "Steve" Bull, MBE, is an English former footballer who is best remembered for his 13-year spell at Wolverhampton Wanderers...

, 34, retired from playing after 13 years and a club record 306 goals at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...

, where he was the longest serving player by the time he announced his retirement on 13 July 1999.

Deaths

2 September 1998: Jackie Blanchflower
Jackie Blanchflower
John "Jackie" Blanchflower was a Northern Irish football player. He graduated from Manchester United's youth system and played for the club on 117 occasions, before his career was cut short due to injuries sustained in the Munich air disaster...

, 65, was a Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...

and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...

centre-half during the 1950s. He suffered a fractured pelvis in the Munich air disaster
Munich air disaster
The Munich air disaster occurred on 6 February 1958, when British European Airways Flight 609 crashed on its third attempt to take off from a slush-covered runway at Munich-Riem Airport in Munich, West Germany. On board the plane was the Manchester United football team, nicknamed the "Busby Babes",...

of 1958 and retired from football following medical advice a year later. He was the younger brother of former Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

captain Danny Blanchflower
Danny Blanchflower
Robert Dennis "Danny" Blanchflower was a former Northern Ireland international footballer and football manager, and journalist who captained Tottenham Hotspur F.C. during its double-winning season of 1961. He was ranked as the greatest player in Spurs history by The Times in 2009...

(1926–1993).

23 September 1998: Ray Bowden
Ray Bowden
Edwin Raymond "Ray" Bowden was an English footballer.Born in Looe, Cornwall, he played for local non-league side Looe; a prolific centre forward, despite his slight frame he scored over 100 goals in a season, including ten in a single match...

, 89, was the last surviving member of Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...

great interwar side, having played for them as an inside-forward from 1933 and 1937, during which time he collected three league titles and an FA Cup winner's medal
1936 FA Cup Final
The 1936 FA Cup Final was a football match between by Arsenal and Sheffield United on 25 April 1936 at Wembley. The showpiece match of English football's primary cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup , it was the 64th Cup final, and the fourteenth at Wembley.Each team received a...

.

7 November 1998: John Osborne
John Osborne (footballer)
John Osborne was an English football goalkeeper. He played for Chesterfield, West Bromwich Albion and Shamrock Rovers. Osborne was a member of Albion's winning team in the 1968 FA Cup final....

, 57, who died of cancer, kept goal for West Bromwich Albion in their 1968 FA Cup triumph. He began his career with Chesterfield and after reaching the pinnacle of his career with Albion he wound up with Walsall.

25 December 1998: John McGrath, 60, was manager of Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...

when they won promotion to the Third Division in 1987. As a player he was centre-half for clubs including Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...

and Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...

. He died of a heart attack on Christmas Day, six years after leaving his final managerial post at Halifax Town.

4 February 1999: Arthur Mann
Arthur Mann
Arthur Fraser Mann was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a defender. He later moved into management and coaching.-Biography:...

, 51, began his footballing career at Hearts
Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...

before moving south of the border to play for Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...

and later Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...

, Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...

, Mansfield Town
Mansfield Town F.C.
Mansfield Town Football Club is an English football club from the former mining town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. The club was formed in 1897 as Mansfield Wesleyans and changed its name to Mansfield Wesley in 1906 before settling on Mansfield Town in 1910...

and finally non-league Kettering Town
Kettering Town F.C.
Kettering Town Football Club are a football club originating in Kettering, Northamptonshire but currently based in the nearby village of Irthlingborough. The club play in the Conference National after winning the Conference North in 2007–08...

. Was later assistant manager to Alan Buckley
Alan Buckley
Alan Peter Buckley is an English football manager. He was manager of League Two side Grimsby Town until his dismissal in September 2008...

at Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...

(1989–1994) and later West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...

(1994–1997). Died in an accident at a scrapyard in Birmingham

6 March 1999: Dennis Viollet
Dennis Viollet
Dennis Sydney Viollet was an English footballer best remembered for his time with Manchester United in the 1950s and early 1960s.-Club career:...

, 65, was another former Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...

player (centre-forward) and Munich air disaster
Munich air disaster
The Munich air disaster occurred on 6 February 1958, when British European Airways Flight 609 crashed on its third attempt to take off from a slush-covered runway at Munich-Riem Airport in Munich, West Germany. On board the plane was the Manchester United football team, nicknamed the "Busby Babes",...

survivor. He continued playing after the tragedy and remained on United's payroll until he joined Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...

in 1962. At the time of his death from cancer, he was living in the United States of America.

28 April 1999: Sir Alf Ramsey
Alf Ramsey
Sir Alfred Ernest "Alf" Ramsey was an English footballer and manager of the English national football team from 1963 to 1974. His greatest achievement was winning the 1966 World Cup with England on 30 July 1966...

, 79, managed England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...

to their finest moment – World Cup glory in 1966. Had played for Tottenham
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

and England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...

during the postwar years and had proved himself as a club manager by winning the league title for Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....

in 1962 – at the end of their first season as a top division club. Remained at the helm with England until 1974, and later had a brief spell as manager of Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...

.

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.