1997–98 Football League

The Football League
Season 1997–98
Champions Nottingham Forest
Promoted Nottingham Forest
Middlesbrough
Charlton Athletic
Relegated Doncaster Rovers

The 1997–98 Football League (known as the Nationwide Football League for sponsorship reasons) was the 99th completed season of The Football League.

Champions Nottingham Forest and runners-up Middlesbrough won promotion back to the Premiership at the first time of asking. Charlton Athletic won the play-offs to end an eight-year absence from the top flight.

Reading were relegated in bottom place. They were joined on the last day of the season by Manchester City and Stoke City. The blue half of Manchester endured relegation to the third tier of the English league for the first time in its history, despite beating also doomed Stoke 5–2 away on the last day of the season, but neither fans took lightly to relegation, as mass football violence outside outshone the match. QPR, Portsmouth and Port Vale all won their games to avoid the drop.

Graham Taylor’s second spell as manager brought instant success as Watford won the Division Two championship. They were joined by runners-up Bristol City and playoff winners Grimsby Town.

Going down to Division Three were Brentford, Plymouth Argyle, Carlisle United and Southend United. Brentford had been losing playoff finalists just 12 months earlier, Plymouth had been promoted to Division Two just two seasons earlier, Carlisle were newly promoted and Southend had endured their second successive relegation.

Macclesfield Town finished runners-up in Division Three to gain their second successive promotion, a year after winning the Conference. They were joined by champions Notts County, who won the title by 17 points and became the first team since World War II to secure promotion in March, third-placed Lincoln City and playoff winners Colchester United.

Doncaster Rovers suffered an English league record of 34 defeats and won just four games to lose their league status. They were replaced by Conference champions Halifax Town, who regained their league status five years after losing it.

First Division

Football League, First Division
Season 1997–98
Champions Nottingham Forest (3rd second tier title)
Direct promotion to FA Premier League Nottingham Forest,
Middlesbrough
Promoted through play-offs Charlton Athletic
Relegated Manchester City,
Reading,
Stoke City
Matches played 552
Goals scored 1410 (2.55 per match)
Top goalscorer Pierre van Hooijdonk (Nottingham Forest), 29
Kevin Phillips (Sunderland), 29 [1]

First Division table

Pos Team Pld W D L F A W D L F A F A GD Pts Notes
1 Nottingham Forest 4618235220108530228242+4094
2 Middlesbrough 4617425112106726297741+3691
3 Sunderland 4614724922125637288650+3690
4 Charlton Athletic 461751481795932328049+3188
5 Ipswich Town 461454472099530237743+3483
6 Sheffield United 4616524420312825346954+1574
7 Birmingham City 461085271599533206035+2574
8 Stockport County 4614634621521625487169+265
9 Wolverhampton Wanderers 4613644225551315285753+465
10 West Bromwich Albion 469862726751123305056–661
11 Crewe Alexandra 46102113034831228315865–759
12 Oxford United 4612653620441524446064–458
13 Bradford City 4610942623461320364659–1357
14 Tranmere Rovers 469863426561220315457–356
15 Norwich City 469863227551320425269–1755
16 Huddersfield Town 469592828561222445072–2253
17 Bury 4671062222491020364258–1652
18 Swindon Town 469682825541414484273–3152
19 Port Vale 4676102524641331425666–1049
20 Portsmouth 468692830541423335163–1249
21 Queens Park Rangers 4689628212101123425163–1249
22 Manchester City 4666112826661128315657–148
23 Stoke City 4685103040381214344474–3046
24 Reading 4684112731351512473978–3942
Key
Football League Champions, promoted to FA Premier League
Promoted to FA Premier League
Participated in play-offs
Promoted to Premier League through play-offs
Relegated

Play-offs

  Semifinals
1st leg – 10 May; 2nd leg – 13 May 1998
Final at Wembley
25 May 1998
                     
3rd  Sunderland 1 2 3  
6th  Sheffield United 2 0 2  
    3rd  Sunderland 4 (6)
  4th  Charlton Athletic (pen.) 4 (7)
4th  Charlton Athletic 1 1 2
5th  Ipswich Town 0 0 0  

[2]

First Division results

Home ╲ Away BIR BRA BRYCHACREHUDIPSMCIMIDNORNOTOXFPTVPORQPRREASHUSTPSTKSUNSWITRAWBAWOL
Birmingham City 00 13 00 01 00 11 21 11 12 12 00 11 21 10 30 20 41 20 01 30 00 10 10
Bradford City 00 10 10 10 11 21 21 22 21 03 00 21 13 11 41 11 21 00 04 11 01 00 20
Bury 21 20 00 11 22 01 11 01 10 20 10 22 02 11 11 11 01 00 11 10 10 13 13
Charlton Athletic 11 41 00 32 10 30 21 30 21 42 32 10 10 11 30 21 13 11 11 30 20 50 10
Crewe Alexandra 02 50 12 03 25 00 10 11 10 14 21 01 31 23 10 21 01 20 03 20 21 23 02
Huddersfield Town 01 12 20 03 20 22 13 01 13 02 51 04 11 11 10 00 10 31 23 00 30 10 10
Ipswich Town 01 21 20 31 32 51 10 11 50 01 52 51 20 00 10 22 02 23 20 21 00 11 30
Manchester City 01 10 01 22 10 01 12 20 12 23 02 23 22 22 00 00 41 01 01 60 11 10 01
Middlesbrough 31 10 40 21 10 30 11 10 30 00 41 21 11 30 40 12 31 01 31 60 30 10 11
Norwich City 33 23 22 04 02 50 21 00 13 10 21 10 20 00 00 21 11 00 21 50 02 11 02
Nottingham Forest 10 22 30 52 31 30 21 13 40 23 13 21 10 40 10 30 21 10 03 30 22 10 30
Oxford United 02 00 11 12 00 20 10 00 14 20 01 20 10 31 30 24 30 51 11 21 11 21 30
Port Vale 01 00 11 01 23 41 13 21 01 22 01 30 21 20 00 00 21 00 31 01 01 12 02
Portsmouth 11 11 11 02 23 30 01 03 00 11 01 21 31 31 02 11 10 20 14 01 10 23 32
Queens Park Rangers 11 10 01 24 32 21 00 20 50 11 01 11 01 10 11 22 21 11 01 12 00 20 00
Reading 20 03 11 20 33 02 04 30 01 01 33 21 03 01 12 01 10 20 40 01 13 21 00
Sheffield United 00 21 30 41 10 11 01 11 10 22 10 10 21 21 22 40 51 32 20 21 21 24 10
Stockport County 22 12 00 30 01 30 01 31 11 22 22 32 30 31 20 51 10 10 11 42 31 21 10
Stoke City 07 21 32 12 02 12 11 25 12 20 11 00 21 21 21 12 22 21 12 12 03 00 30
Sunderland 11 20 21 00 21 31 22 31 12 01 11 31 42 21 22 41 42 41 30 00 30 20 11
Swindon Town 11 10 31 01 20 11 02 13 12 10 00 41 42 01 31 02 11 11 10 12 21 02 00
Tranmere Rovers 03 31 00 22 03 10 11 00 02 20 00 02 12 22 21 60 33 30 31 02 30 00 21
West Bromwich Albion 10 11 11 10 01 02 23 01 21 10 11 12 22 03 11 10 20 32 11 33 00 21 10
Wolverhampton Wanderers 13 21 42 31 10 11 11 22 10 50 21 10 11 20 32 31 00 34 11 01 31 21 01

Source:
1 ^ The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

First Division maps

Locations of the Football League First Division London teams 1997–1998

Second Division

Football League, Second Division
Season 1997–98
Champions Watford (2nd third tier title)
Direct promotion Watford,
Bristol City
Promoted through play-offs Grimsby Town
Relegated Brentford,
Carlisle United,
Plymouth Argyle,
Southend United
Matches played 552
Goals scored 1337 (2.42 per match)
Top goalscorer Barry Hayles (Bristol Rovers), 23 [1]

Second Division table

Pos Team Pld W D L F A W D L F A F A GD Pts Notes
1 Watford 4613733622119331196741+2688
2 Bristol City 461652411795928226939+3085
3 Grimsby Town 461175301488725235537+1872
4 Northampton 4614543317412719205237+1571
5 Bristol Rovers 461328433378827317064+670
6 Fulham 4612743114831229296043+1770
7 Wrexham 4610103312386924285551+470
8 Gillingham 4613733018661122295247+570
9 Bournemouth 4611842815741229375752+566
10 Chesterfield 46137331193101015254644+265
11 Wigan Athletic 4612564131561223356466–262
12 Blackpool 4613643524451424435967–862
13 Oldham Athletic 4613734323291219316254+861
14 Wycombe Wanderers 46101033220481119335153–260
15 Preston North End 4610672926581027305656±059
16 York City 469772621510826375258–659
17 Luton Town 46779353878825266064–457
18 Millwall 467882323751120314354–1155
19 Walsall 4610852616441517364352–954
20 Burnley 4610943423341621425565–1052
21 Brentford 4697733292101117425071–2150
22 Plymouth Argyle 4610583630281319405570–1549
23 Carlisle United 4685102728431630455773–1644
24 Southend United 468782930331718494779–3243
Key
Division Champions, promoted
Promoted
Participated in play-offs
Promoted through play-offs
Relegated

Play-offs

  Semifinals
1st leg – 9/10 May; 2nd leg – 13 May 1998
Final at Wembley Stadium
24 May 1998
                     
3rd  Grimsby Town 1 1 2  
6th  Fulham 1 0 1  
    3rd  Grimsby Town 1
  4th  Northampton 0
4th  Northampton 1 3 4
5th  Bristol Rovers 3 0 3  

[2]

Second Division maps

Locations of the Football League Second Division London teams 1997–1998

Third Division

Football League, Third Division
Season 1997–98
Champions Notts County (2nd fourth tier title)
Direct promotion Notts County,
Lincoln City,
Macclesfield Town
Promoted through play-offs Colchester United
Relegated to Conference Doncaster Rovers
Matches played 552
Goals scored 1431 (2.59 per match)
Top goalscorer Gary Jones (Notts County), 28 [1]

Third Division table

Pos Team Pld W D L F A W D L F A F A GD Pts Notes
1 Notts County 4614724120155341238243+3999
2 Macclesfield Town 4619404011491023336344+1982
3 Lincoln City 461175322498628276051+975
4 Colchester United 4614544124761031367260+1274
5 Torquay United 461445392277929376859+974
6 Scarborough 461463442359923356758+972
7 Barnet 461085352295926296151+1070
8 Scunthorpe United 4611753024851026285652+469
9 Rotherham United 4610944130610726316761+667
10 Peterborough United 4613643716571126356351+1267
11 Leyton Orient 4614544020571122276247+1566[notes 1]
12 Mansfield Town 4611934226581022296455+965
13 Shrewsbury Town 4612383528410926346162–161
14 Chester 4612743415531526466061–161
15 Exeter City 4610853925571129386863+560
16 Cambridge United 46118439273101024306357+660
17 Hartlepool United 461012140222111021316153+859
18 Rochdale 4615354315241713405655+158
19 Darlington 4613644328161613445672–1654
20 Swansea City 468872416531525464962–1350
21 Cardiff City 4651352722410921304852–450
22 Hull City 4610673632122020515683–2741
23 Brighton & Hove Albion 46310102134371317323866–2835
24 Doncaster Rovers 46331714481517166530113–8320
  1. Leyton Orient had 3 points deducted.
Key
Division Champions, promoted
Promoted
Participated in play-offs
Promoted through play-offs
New club in the league (see Macclesfield Town)
Relegated to Conference

Play-offs

  Semifinals
1st leg – 10 May; 2nd leg – 13 May 1998
Final at Wembley Stadium
22 May 1998
                     
4th  Colchester United 0 3 3  
7th  Barnet 1 1 2  
    4th  Colchester United 1
  5th  Torquay United 0
5th  Torquay United 3 4 7
6th  Scarborough 1 1 2  

[2]

Third Division maps

Locations of the Football League Third Division London teams 1997–1998

Topscorers

First Division

Rank Player Club Goals
1 England Kevin Phillips Sunderland 29
= Netherlands Pierre Van Hooijdonk Nottingham Forest 29
3 England Kevin Campbell Nottingham Forest 23
= England Clive Mendonca Charlton Athletic 23
5 England David Johnson Ipswich Town 20
6 England Brett Angell Stockport County 18
7 England Paul Furlong Birmingham City 15
= England Marcus Stewart Huddersfield Town 15

Second Division

Rank Player Club Goals
1 Jamaica Barry Hayles Bristol Rovers 23
2 Canada Carlo Corazzin Plymouth Argyle 17
= England Kevin Donovan Grimsby Town 17
= England Mark Stallard Wycombe Wanderers 17
= England Ian Stevens Carlisle United 17
6 England Andy Cooke Burnley 16
= England David Lowe Wigan Athletic 16
8 England Peter Beadle Bristol Rovers 15
= England Paul Moody Fulham 15
10 England Lee Ashcroft Preston North End 14
= Netherlands Jeroen Boere Southend United 14

Third Division

Rank Player Club Goals
1 England Gary Jones Notts County 28
2 England Steve Whitehall Mansfield Town 24
3 Wales Darran Rowbotham Exeter City 21
4 Northern Ireland Jimmy Quinn Peterborough United 20
5 Wales Carl Griffiths Leyton Orient 18

See also

References

The tables below are reproduced here in the exact form that they can be found at The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation website,[2] with home and away statistics separated. Play-off results are from the same website.

  1. 1 2 3 "English League Leading Goalscorers". RSSSF. Retrieved 2010-10-31.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "England 1997–98". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 2010-02-24.
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