1997–98 Sheffield Wednesday F.C. season

Sheffield Wednesday
1997–98 season
Chairman Dave Richards
Manager David Pleat (until 3 November)
Peter Shreeves (caretaker from 3 – 14 November)
Ron Atkinson (from 14 November)
Premiership 16th
FA Cup Fourth round
League Cup Second round
Top goalscorer League: Di Canio (12)
All: Di Canio (14)
Highest home attendance 39,427 (vs. Manchester United, Premiership)
Lowest home attendance 11,120 (vs. Grimsby Town, League Cup)
Average home league attendance 28,706 (league)

The 1997–98 season was Sheffield Wednesday F.C.'s 131st season. They competed in the twenty-team Premiership, the top tier of English football, finishing sixteenth.

Season summary

Having narrowly missed out on a UEFA Cup place in 1996–97, the club record £5.7 million signing of Italian striker Paolo Di Canio from Celtic gave Owls fans hopes of another challenge for Europe. But it was not to be, and by the time they lost 6–1 to Manchester United in November, relegation was looking a real possibility. Manager David Pleat was swiftly sacked, and Ron Atkinson – manager of the 1991 promotion and League Cup winning side – returned to the manager's seat on a short-term contract. He achieved safety in 16th place, and was disappointed on being told that his contract would not be renewed. He was succeeded by Danny Wilson, a former Owls player who played for them in the early, more successful part of the decade.

Final league table

Pos
Team
Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
Qualification or relegation
1 Arsenal (C) 38 23 9 6 68 33 +35 78 1998–99 UEFA Champions League Group stage
2 Manchester United 38 23 8 7 73 26 +47 77 1998–99 UEFA Champions League Second qualifying round
3 Liverpool 38 18 11 9 68 42 +26 65 1998–99 UEFA Cup First round
4 Chelsea 38 20 3 15 71 43 +28 63 1998–99 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup First round 1
5 Leeds United 38 17 8 13 57 46 +11 59 1998–99 UEFA Cup First round
6 Blackburn Rovers 38 16 10 12 57 52 +5 58
7 Aston Villa 38 17 6 15 49 48 +1 57
8 West Ham United 38 16 8 14 56 57 1 56
9 Derby County 38 16 7 15 52 49 +3 55
10 Leicester City 38 13 14 11 51 41 +10 53
11 Coventry City 38 12 16 10 46 44 +2 52
12 Southampton 38 14 6 18 50 55 5 48
13 Newcastle United 38 11 11 16 35 44 9 44 1998–99 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup First round 2
14 Tottenham Hotspur 38 11 11 16 44 56 12 44
15 Wimbledon 38 10 14 14 34 46 12 44
16 Sheffield Wednesday 38 12 8 18 52 67 15 44
17 Everton 38 9 13 16 41 56 15 40
18 Bolton Wanderers (R) 38 9 13 16 41 61 20 40 Relegation to 1998–99 Football League First Division
19 Barnsley (R) 38 10 5 23 37 82 45 35
20 Crystal Palace (R) 38 8 9 21 37 71 –34 33 1998 UEFA Intertoto Cup Third round 3
Relegation to the 1998–99 Football League First Division

Updated to games played on 10 May 1998.
Source: Premier League
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored
1 Chelsea qualified for the Cup Winners' Cup as defending champions and were the League Cup winners.
2 As Arsenal qualified for the Champions League, their Cup Winners' Cup place as FA Cup winners defaulted to Newcastle United, the losing finalists.
3 Despite being relegated, Crystal Palace qualified for the 1998 Intertoto Cup.
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (E) = Eliminated; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament indicated; (TQ) = Qualified to tournament, but not yet to the particular phase indicated; (RQ) = Qualified to the relegation tournament indicated; (DQ) = Disqualified from tournament.

Results Summary
OverallHomeAway
PldWDLGFGAGDPtsWDLGFGAGDWDLGFGAGD
38 12 8 18 52 67  −15 44 9 5 5 30 26  +4 3 3 13 22 41  −19

Source: 1997-98 FA Premier League table

Results by round
Round1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132333435363738
GroundAHAAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAAHAHAAHA
Result L L D L W L D L D W L L L W W W W L L D D W W D L D W L W L L W L D L W L L
Position 17 18 16 18 15 19 19 19 18 16 17 18 20 19 16 14 13 13 14 14 15 12 11 10 14 12 12 13 12 13 13 13 14 14 14 13 14 16

Source: 11v11.com: 1997-98 Sheffield Wednesday results
Ground: A = Away; H = Home. Result: D = Draw; L = Loss; W = Win; P = Postponed.

Results

Sheffield Wednesday's score comes first[1]

Legend

Win Draw Loss

FA Premier League

DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
9 August 1997 Newcastle UnitedA1–236,711Carbone
13 August 1997 Leeds UnitedH1–331,520Hyde
23 August 1997 WimbledonA1–111,503Di Canio
27 August 1997 Blackburn RoversA2–719,618Carbone (2)
30 August 1997 Leicester CityH1–024,851Carbone (pen)
13 September 1997 LiverpoolA1–234,705Collins
20 September 1997 Coventry CityH0–021,087
24 September 1997 Derby CountyH2–522,391Di Canio, Carbone (pen)
27 September 1997 Aston VillaA2–232,044Collins, Whittingham
4 October 1997 EvertonH3–124,486Carbone (2, 1 pen), Di Canio
19 October 1997 Tottenham HotspurA2–325,097Collins, Di Canio
25 October 1997 Crystal PalaceH1–322,072Collins
1 November 1997 Manchester UnitedA1–655,259Whittingham
8 November 1997 Bolton WanderersH5–025,027Di Canio, Whittingham, Booth (3)
22 November 1997 ArsenalH2–034,373Booth, Whittingham
29 November 1997 SouthamptonA3–215,244Atherton, Collins, Di Canio
8 December 1997 BarnsleyH2–129,086Stefanović, Di Canio
13 December 1997 West Ham UnitedA0–124,344
20 December 1997 ChelseaH1–428,334Pembridge
26 December 1997 Blackburn RoversH0–033,502
28 December 1997 Leicester CityA1–120,800Booth
10 January 1998 Newcastle UnitedH2–129,446Di Canio, Newsome
17 January 1998 Leeds UnitedA2–133,166Newsome, Booth
31 January 1998 WimbledonH1–122,655Mark Pembridge
7 February 1998 Coventry CityA0–118,375
14 February 1998 LiverpoolH3–335,405Carbone, Di Canio, Hinchcliffe
21 February 1998 Tottenham HotspurH1–029,871Di Canio
28 February 1998 Derby CountyA0–330,203
7 March 1998 Manchester UnitedH2–039,427Atherton, Di Canio
14 March 1998 Bolton WanderersA2–324,847Booth, Atherton
28 March 1998 ArsenalA0–138,087
4 April 1998 SouthamptonH1–029,677Carbone
11 April 1998 BarnsleyA1–218,692Stefanović
13 April 1998 West Ham UnitedH1–128,036Magilton
19 April 1998 ChelseaA0–129,075
25 April 1998 EvertonA3–135,497Pembridge (2), Di Canio
2 May 1998 Aston VillaH1–334,177Sanetti
10 May 1998 Crystal PalaceA0–116,876

FA Cup

Main article: 1997–98 FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
R33 January 1998 WatfordA1–118,306Alexandersson
R3R14 January 1998 WatfordH0–0 (won 5–3 on pens)18,707
R426 January 1998 Blackburn RoversH0–315,940

League Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
R2 1st Leg 17 September 1997 Grimsby TownA0–26,429
R2 2nd Leg 1 October 1997 Grimsby TownH3–2 (lost 3–4 on agg)11,120Davison (own goal), Di Canio (2)

First-team squad

Squad at end of season[2]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
1 England GK Kevin Pressman
2 England DF Peter Atherton
3 England DF Ian Nolan
4 Wales MF Mark Pembridge
5 England DF Jon Newsome
6 England DF Des Walker
7 England FW Guy Whittingham
8 Italy FW Benito Carbone
10 England FW Andy Booth
11 Italy FW Paolo Di Canio
12 England MF Graham Hyde
13 England GK Matt Clarke
14 Scotland DF Steve Nicol
15 Austria FW Christian Mayrleb
16 England FW Ritchie Humphreys
No. Position Player
17 England MF Lee Briscoe
18 Federal Republic of Yugoslavia DF Dejan Stefanović
19 England MF Scott Oakes
20 England DF Andy Hinchcliffe
21 Republic of Macedonia DF Goce Sedloski
22 Brazil DF Emerson Thome
23 Ghana FW Junior Agogo
24 Northern Ireland MF Jim Magilton
25 Norway MF Petter Rudi
26 Sweden MF Niclas Alexandersson
27 England DF Earl Barrett
28 Republic of Ireland MF Alan Quinn
29 England MF Krystof Kotylo
30 Italy FW Francesco Sanetti

Left club during season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
9 England FW David Hirst (to Southampton)
15 France DF Patrick Blondeau (to Bordeaux)
20 England MF Wayne Collins (to Fulham)
21 Australia MF Adem Poric (to Notts County)
No. Position Player
22 England FW O'Neill Donaldson (to Stoke City)
26 Zimbabwe GK Bruce Grobbelaar (to Oldham Athletic)
27 England FW Nigel Clough (on loan from Manchester City)

Reserve squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
- England GK Stuart Jones
- Republic of Ireland DF Derek Geary
- England DF Steve Haslam
- England DF Kevin Nicholson
- England DF Michael Simpkins
No. Position Player
- England DF Simon Weaver
- England MF Peter Holmes
- Wales MF Ryan Jones
- Republic of Ireland MF Mark McKeever
- England MF Mark Platts

Transfers

In

Date Pos Name From Fee
24 June 1997 DF Patrick Blondeau AS Monaco £1,800,000
6 August 1997 FW Paolo Di Canio Celtic £3,000,000
9 September 1997 MF Jim Magilton Southampton £1,600,000
22 September 1997 GK Bruce Grobbelaar Oxford United Nominal
2 October 1997 MF Petter Rudi Molde £800,000
17 November 1997 DF Derek Geary Rivermount Boys Signed
5 December 1997 MF Niclas Alexandersson IFK Göteborg £750,000
6 December 1997 MF Alan Quinn Cherry Orchard Nominal
30 January 1998 DF Andy Hinchcliffe Everton £3,000,000
19 February 1998 DF Goce Sedloski Hajduk Split £750,000
24 February 1998 DF Earl Barrett Everton Free transfer
26 March 1998 GK Stuart Jones Weston-super-Mare £20,000
26 March 1998 DF Emerson Thome Benfica Signed
30 April 1998 FW Francesco Sanetti Genoa Free transfer

Out

Date Pos Name To Fee
1 August 1997 DF Dave Hercock Kettering Town Undisclosed
5 August 1997 MF Orlando Trustfull Vitesse Arnhem £800,000
6 August 1997 MF Regi Blinker Celtic £1,500,000
17 October 1997 FW David Hirst Southampton £2,000,000
1 November 1997 DF Steven Lenagh Chesterfield Monthly
1 January 1998 MF James Simpkins Chesterfield Non-contract
14 January 1998 DF Patrick Blondeau Bordeaux £1,200,000
22 January 1998 MF Wayne Collins Fulham £400,000
13 March 1998 FW O'Neill Donaldson Stoke City Free transfer
27 March 1998 MF Adem Poric Notts County Free transfer
Transfers in: Decrease £11,720,000
Transfers out: Increase £5,900,000
Total spending: Decrease £5,820,000

Statistics

Starting 11

Considering starts in all competitions[3]

References

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