1998–99 FA Premier League
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The 1998–99 FA Premier League (known as the FA Carling Premiership for sponsorship reasons) was the seventh season of the Premier League, the top division of English football, since its establishment in 1992. Manchester United won a treble of the league title, the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League. They secured their fifth league title in seven seasons after outlasting Arsenal and Chelsea in a closely fought title race, losing just three league games all season.
The season was also the 100th season of top flight football in England, not counting years lost to the two World Wars. Of the original clubs in the first Football League season, only Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers, Derby County and Everton were present for this season.
Arsenal failed to retain their title, despite having the same points tally as last season 78 points, but had at one point looked as though they were on the brink of winning the title, after beating fellow rivals Tottenham Hotspur, while Manchester United had drawn against Liverpool, 2–2. However, Manchester United pushed on and took advantage of Arsenal's 1–0 defeat at Leeds United in the penultimate match of the season and despite going 1–0 down against Tottenham on the final day, came back to win 2–1 and clinch the title. Should they have failed to win, Arsenal would have been crowned champions once more.
Chelsea, looking to build on a fourth-placed finish the previous season, were flying for much of the season and were in a good position to claim a first league title in 44 years. The Blues were second at Christmas and went top on Boxing Day. A loss at Highbury at the start of February was just a second in the league all season, and kept Chelsea in second place, just a point off the summit. Eventually, three draws in April against winnable opposition (mid-table sides Middlesbrough and Leicester City, and relegation-threatened Sheffield Wednesday) is what cost Chelsea a first Premiership crown. Had they won these, the Blues would've been champions. Chelsea had to settle for third place, earning a maiden Champions League appearance.
To achieve their success, the Manchester United playing squad had been altered substantially during the close season. A total of more than £28 million had been spent on Dwight Yorke, Jaap Stam and Jesper Blomqvist, while several older players left the club; Gary Pallister returned to Middlesbrough after nine years for £2.5 million, while Brian McClair returned to Motherwell on a free transfer. In December, however, McClair was back in the Premier League as Brian Kidd's assistant at Blackburn Rovers.
Season summary
At the end of 1998–99, the Premiership would have three Champions League places. Manchester United as well as runners-up Arsenal and third placed Chelsea would be playing in the following season's Champions League. There would only be one automatic UEFA Cup place from the league – taken by fourth-placed Leeds United. Fifth-placed West Ham United qualified for the UEFA Cup via the Intertoto Cup after achieving their highest league finish since 1986 as they continued to make progress under Harry Redknapp, outperforming several "bigger" clubs with greater resources. Also qualifying were Newcastle United via the 1998–99 FA Cup final, and Tottenham Hotspur via the League Cup.
Manchester United regained the title from Arsenal on the final day of the season, and had faced competition from Chelsea until the final stages of the season, while Aston Villa had led the table for much of the first half of the season before finishing sixth.
Bottom of the Premiership in the final table came Nottingham Forest, who suffered their third relegation in seven seasons. After winning two of their opening three matches, a club record winless run of 19 matches left them firmly rooted to the bottom. Another notable low during the season saw an 8-1 defeat at home to Manchester United, by which point Dave Bassett had been replaced by Ron Atkinson, who was unable to spark a revival in fortunes and their relegation back to the First Division was confirmed with three games remaining. Forest ultimately would not return to the top flight for another 23 years.
Second from bottom came Blackburn Rovers, who just four seasons earlier had been Premiership champions. Like Forest, a change of manager, with Roy Hodgson being replaced by Brian Kidd just before Christmas failed to have the desired outcome, a goalless draw at home to Manchester United in their penultimate game of the season sealing their fate. The final relegation place went to Charlton Athletic, who went down at the end of their first spell in the top flight for nine seasons following a 1-0 defeat at home to Sheffield Wednesday on the final day. The only newly promoted club to survive was Middlesbrough, who finished in ninth place - their highest final position for more than 20 years.
None of the teams relegated from the Premiership the previous season regained their top division status in 1999, although First Division champions Sunderland regained their Premiership place after a two-year exile. The other two relegation places went to long-term absentees from the top division. Playoff winners Watford regained their top division place after an absence of 11 years, but runners-up Bradford had been outside of the top division for 77 years. These two promotion winners surprised the observers more than any other Division One side during 1998–99, but were widely expected to struggle in the top flight.
Teams
Twenty teams competed in the league – the top seventeen teams from the previous season and the three teams promoted from the First Division. The promoted teams were Nottingham Forest, Middlesbrough (both teams sealing an immediate return to the top flight after a single season), and Charlton Athletic (playing in the top flight after an eight-year absence). This was also Charlton Athletic's first season in the Premier League. They replaced Bolton Wanderers, Barnsley and Crystal Palace, with all three relegated teams returning to the First Division after a single season in the top flight.
Stadiums and locations
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| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | London (Highbury)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Arsenal Stadium | 38,419 |
| Aston Villa | Birmingham | Villa Park | 42,573 |
| Blackburn Rovers | Blackburn | Ewood Park | 31,367 |
| Charlton Athletic | London (Charlton)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | The Valley | 20,043 |
| Chelsea | London (Fulham)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Stamford Bridge | 42,055 |
| Coventry City | Coventry | Highfield Road | 23,489 |
| Derby County | Derby | Pride Park Stadium | 33,597 |
| Everton | Liverpool (Walton)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Goodison Park | 40,569 |
| Leeds United | Leeds | Elland Road | 40,242 |
| Leicester City | Leicester | Filbert Street | 22,000 |
| Liverpool | Liverpool (Anfield)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Anfield | 45,522 |
| Manchester United | Manchester | Old Trafford | 68,174 |
| Middlesbrough | Middlesbrough | Riverside Stadium | 30,000 |
| Newcastle United | Newcastle upon Tyne | St James' Park | 52,387 |
| Nottingham Forest | West Bridgford | City Ground | 30,445 |
| Sheffield Wednesday | Sheffield | Hillsborough Stadium | 39,732 |
| Southampton | Southampton | The Dell | 15,200 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | London (Tottenham)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | White Hart Lane | 36,240 |
| West Ham United | London (Upton Park)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Boleyn Ground | 35,647 |
| Wimbledon | London (Selhurst)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Selhurst ParkTemplate:Efn | 26,074 |
Personnel and kits
(as of 16 May 1999)
Managerial changes
League table
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Results
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Season statistics
Scoring
Top scorers
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| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Template:Flagicon Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink | Leeds United | 18 |
| Template:Flagicon Michael Owen | Liverpool | ||
| Template:Flagicon Dwight Yorke | Manchester United | ||
| 4 | Template:Flagicon Nicolas Anelka | Arsenal | 17 |
| Template:Flagicon Andy Cole | Manchester United | ||
| 6 | Template:Flagicon Hámilton Ricard | Middlesbrough | 15 |
| 7 | Template:Flagicon Dion Dublin | Aston Villa | 14 |
| Template:Flagicon Robbie Fowler | Liverpool | ||
| Template:Flagicon Julian Joachim | Aston Villa | ||
| Template:Flagicon Alan Shearer | Newcastle United |
Hat-tricks
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| Player | For | Against | Result | Date | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Flagicon Script error: No such module "Sort". | Charlton Athletic | Southampton | 5–0 (H) | Template:Dts | [1] |
| Template:Flagicon Script error: No such module "Sort". | Liverpool | Newcastle United | 4–1 (A) | Template:Dts | [2] |
| Template:Flagicon Script error: No such module "Sort".4 | Liverpool | Nottingham Forest | 5–1 (H) | Template:Dts | [3] |
| Template:Flagicon Script error: No such module "Sort". | Aston Villa | Leicester City | 4–1 (A) | Template:Dts | [4] |
| Template:Flagicon Script error: No such module "Sort". | Liverpool | Aston Villa | 4–2 (A) | Template:Dts | [5] |
| Template:Flagicon Script error: No such module "Sort". | Tottenham Hotspur | Everton | 4–1 (H) | Template:Dts | [6] |
| Template:Flagicon Script error: No such module "Sort". | Coventry City | Nottingham Forest | 4–0 (H) | Template:Dts | [7] |
| Template:Flagicon Script error: No such module "Sort".P | Liverpool | Southampton | 7–1 (H) | Template:Dts | [8] |
| Template:Flagicon Script error: No such module "Sort". | Manchester United | Leicester City | 6–2 (A) | Template:Dts | [9] |
| Template:Flagicon Script error: No such module "Sort".4 Template:Dagger | Manchester United | Nottingham Forest | 8–1 (A) | Template:Dts | [10] |
| Template:Flagicon Script error: No such module "Sort". | Arsenal | Leicester City | 5–0 (H) | Template:Dts | [11] |
| Template:Flagicon Script error: No such module "Sort". | Everton | West Ham United | 6–0 (H) | Template:Dts | [12] |
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Top assists
| Rank | Player | Club | Assists[13] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Template:Flagicon Dennis Bergkamp | Arsenal | 13 |
| Template:Flagicon Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink | Leeds United | ||
| 3 | Template:Flagicon David Beckham | Manchester United | 11 |
| Template:Flagicon Eyal Berkovic | West Ham United | ||
| Template:Flagicon Steve Guppy | Leicester City | ||
| Template:Flagicon Dwight Yorke | Manchester United | ||
| 7 | Template:Flagicon David Ginola | Tottenham Hotspur | 10 |
| 8 | Template:Flagicon Darren Anderton | Tottenham Hotspur | 9 |
| Template:Flagicon Harry Kewell | Leeds United | ||
| 10 | Template:Flagicon James Beattie | Southampton | 7 |
Awards
Monthly awards
| Month | Manager of the Month | Player of the Month | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manager | Club | Player | Club | |
| August | Template:Flagicon Alan Curbishley | Charlton Athletic | Template:Flagicon Michael Owen | Liverpool |
| September | Template:Flagicon John Gregory | Aston Villa | Template:Flagicon Alan Shearer | Newcastle United |
| October | Template:Flagicon Martin O'Neill | Leicester City | Template:Flagicon Roy Keane | Manchester United |
| November | Template:Flagicon Harry Redknapp | West Ham United | Template:Flagicon Dion Dublin | Aston Villa |
| December | Template:Flagicon Brian Kidd | Blackburn Rovers[14] | Template:Flagicon David Ginola | Tottenham Hotspur |
| January | Template:Flagicon Alex Ferguson | Manchester United | Template:Flagicon Dwight Yorke | Manchester United |
| February | Template:Flagicon Alan Curbishley | Charlton Athletic | Template:Flagicon Nicolas Anelka | Arsenal |
| March | Template:Flagicon David O'Leary | Leeds United | Template:Flagicon Ray Parlour | Arsenal |
| April | Template:Flagicon Alex Ferguson | Manchester United | Template:Flagicon Kevin Campbell | Everton |
Annual awards
| Award | Winner | Club |
|---|---|---|
| Premier League Manager of the Season | Template:Flagicon Alex Ferguson | Manchester United |
| Premier League Player of the Season | Template:Flagicon Dwight Yorke | Manchester United |
| PFA Players' Player of the Year | Template:Flagicon David Ginola | Tottenham Hotspur |
| PFA Young Player of the Year | Template:Flagicon Nicolas Anelka | Arsenal |
| FWA Footballer of the Year | Template:Flagicon David Ginola | Tottenham Hotspur |
| PFA Team of the Year | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Template:Flagicon Nigel Martyn (Leeds United) | |||||||||||
| Defenders | Template:Flagicon Gary Neville (Manchester United) | Template:Flagicon Sol Campbell (Tottenham Hotspur) | Template:Flagicon Jaap Stam (Manchester United) | Template:Flagicon Denis Irwin (Manchester United) | ||||||||
| Midfielders | Template:Flagicon David Beckham (Manchester United) | Template:Flagicon Emmanuel Petit (Arsenal) | Template:Flagicon Patrick Vieira (Arsenal) | Template:Flagicon David Ginola (Tottenham Hotspur) | ||||||||
| Forwards | Template:Flagicon Dwight Yorke (Manchester United) | Template:Flagicon Nicolas Anelka (Arsenal) | ||||||||||
Attendances
Source:[15]
| No. | Club | Matches | Total attendance | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester United | 19 | 1,048,580 | 55,188 |
| 2 | Liverpool FC | 19 | 823,105 | 43,321 |
| 3 | Arsenal FC | 19 | 722,450 | 38,024 |
| 4 | Aston Villa | 19 | 701,795 | 36,937 |
| 5 | Newcastle United | 19 | 696,631 | 36,665 |
| 6 | Everton FC | 19 | 687,856 | 36,203 |
| 7 | Leeds United | 19 | 681,056 | 35,845 |
| 8 | Chelsea FC | 19 | 660,273 | 34,751 |
| 9 | Middlesbrough FC | 19 | 653,393 | 34,389 |
| 10 | Tottenham Hotspur | 19 | 649,307 | 34,174 |
| 11 | Derby County | 19 | 554,698 | 29,195 |
| 12 | Sheffield Wednesday | 19 | 508,161 | 26,745 |
| 13 | Blackburn Rovers | 19 | 489,459 | 25,761 |
| 14 | West Ham United | 19 | 487,996 | 25,684 |
| 15 | Nottingham Forest | 19 | 463,894 | 24,415 |
| 16 | Coventry City | 19 | 394,791 | 20,778 |
| 17 | Leicester City | 19 | 388,910 | 20,469 |
| 18 | Charlton Athletic | 19 | 376,637 | 19,823 |
| 19 | Wimbledon FC | 19 | 346,468 | 18,235 |
| 20 | Southampton FC | 19 | 287,653 | 15,140 |
Notes
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- ↑ https://www.worldfootball.net/competition/co91/se3245/attendance/
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External links
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