Fulham F.C. 1997–98 football season
The 1997–98 season was Fulham's 100th season in professional football. They played in the Second Division (previously known as the Third Division).
Season summary [ ]
Manager Micky Adams was sacked in September, soon after Mohammed Al Fayed 's take-over. Ray Wilkins and Kevin Keegan were appointed as head coach and director of football respectively. The club managed to make the play-offs despite losing their last three games, but this wasn't good enough for Al Fayed, who sacked Wilkins and promoted Keegan to his position. Keegan was unable to navigate Fulham through the play-offs as they were defeated by Grimsby Town 2–1 on aggregate (1–1 and 1–0 over two legs) in the semi-finals.
Final league table [ ]
Main article: 1997-98 Football League
Pos
Team
Pld
W
D
L
F
A
W
D
L
F
A
F
A
GD
Pts
1
Watford
46
13
7
3
36
22
11
9
3
31
19
67
41
+26
88
2
Bristol City
46
16
5
2
41
17
9
5
9
28
22
69
39
+30
85
3
Grimsby Town
46
11
7
5
30
14
8
8
7
25
23
55
37
+18
72
4
Northampton Town
46
14
5
4
33
17
4
12
7
19
20
52
37
+15
71
5
Bristol Rovers
46
13
2
8
43
33
7
8
8
27
31
70
64
+6
70
6
Fulham
46
12
7
4
31
14
8
3
12
29
29
60
43
+17
70
7
Wrexham
46
10
10
3
31
23
8
6
9
24
28
55
51
+4
70
8
Gillingham
46
13
7
3
30
18
6
6
11
22
29
52
47
+5
70
9
Bournemouth
46
11
8
4
28
15
7
4
12
29
37
57
52
+5
66
10
Chesterfield
46
13
7
3
31
19
3
10
10
15
25
46
44
+2
65
11
Wigan Athletic
46
12
5
6
41
31
5
6
12
23
35
64
66
–2
62
12
Blackpool
46
13
6
4
35
24
4
5
14
24
43
59
67
–8
62
13
Oldham Athletic
46
13
7
3
43
23
2
9
12
19
31
62
54
+8
61
14
Wycombe Wanderers
46
10
10
3
32
20
4
8
11
19
33
51
53
–2
60
15
Preston North End
46
10
6
7
29
26
5
8
10
27
30
56
56
±0
59
16
York City
46
9
7
7
26
21
5
10
8
26
37
52
58
–6
59
17
Luton Town
46
7
7
9
35
38
7
8
8
25
26
60
64
–4
57
18
Millwall
46
7
8
8
23
23
7
5
11
20
31
43
54
–11
55
19
Walsall
46
10
8
5
26
16
4
4
15
17
36
43
52
–9
54
20
Burnley
46
10
9
4
34
23
3
4
16
21
42
55
65
–10
52
21
Brentford
46
9
7
7
33
29
2
10
11
17
42
50
71
–21
50
22
Plymouth Argyle
46
10
5
8
36
30
2
8
13
19
40
55
70
–15
49
23
Carlisle United
46
8
5
10
27
28
4
3
16
30
45
57
73
–16
44
24
Southend United
46
8
7
8
29
30
3
3
17
18
49
47
79
–32
43
Pld = Matches ; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
NB: In the Football League goals scored (F) takes precedence over goal difference (GD).
Key
Division Champions, promoted
Promoted
Participated in play-offs
Promoted through play-offs
Relegated
Results [ ]
Fulham's score comes first [1]
Legend [ ]
[ ]
Date
Opponent
Venue
Result
Attendance
Scorers
9 August 1997
Wrexham
H
1–0
8,789
Conroy
16 August 1997
Walsall
A
1–1
4,418
Keister (own goal)
23 August 1997
Luton Town
H
0–0
8,142
30 August 1997
Wycombe Wanderers
A
0–2
6,278
2 September 1997
Bristol City
A
2–0
10,293
Newhouse , Carpenter
9 September 1997
Plymouth Argyle
H
2–0
8,961
Moody (2)
13 September 1997
Grimsby Town
H
0–2
6,874
20 September 1997
Southend United
A
0–1
5,026
27 September 1997
Wigan Athletic
A
1–2
4,951
Hayward
4 October 1997
Oldham Athletic
H
3–1
8,805
Moody (2), Sinnott (own goal)
11 October 1997
Blackpool
H
1–0
7,760
Conroy
18 October 1997
Bournemouth
A
1–2
7,484
Vincent (own goal)
21 October 1997
Watford
A
0–2
11,486
25 October 1997
Northampton Town
H
1–1
9,848
Peschisolido
1 November 1997
Chesterfield
H
1–1
7,998
Blake
4 November 1997
Millwall
A
1–1
10,291
Peschisolido
8 November 1997
Bristol Rovers
A
3–2
6,166
Carpenter , Scott (2)
18 November 1997
York City
H
1–1
5,521
Peschisolido
21 November 1997
Gillingham
H
3–0
8,274
Peschisolido (2), Watson
29 November 1997
Preston North End
A
1–3
9,723
Scott
2 December 1997
Brentford
H
1–1
10,767
Peschisolido
13 December 1997
Carlisle United
A
0–2
4,574
19 December 1997
Burnley
H
1–0
5,096
Cullip
26 December 1997
Plymouth Argyle
A
4–1
9,469
Moody (2), Hayward , Trollope
28 December 1997
Bristol City
H
1–0
13,273
Moody
10 January 1998
Wrexham
A
3–0
5,338
Moody , Peschisolido , Trollope
17 January 1998
Wycombe Wanderers
H
0–0
10,468
24 January 1998
Luton Town
A
4–1
8,366
Moody (3, 1 pen), Hayward
31 January 1998
Grimsby Town
A
1–1
6,785
Lightbourne
7 February 1998
Southend United
H
2–0
9,122
Peschisolido , Lightbourne
14 February 1998
Oldham Athletic
A
0–1
6,063
21 February 1998
Wigan Athletic
H
2–0
7,791
Hayward , Peschisolido
24 February 1998
Bournemouth
H
0–1
7,708
28 February 1998
Blackpool
A
1–2
5,183
Coleman
3 March 1998
Bristol Rovers
H
1–0
6,843
Thorpe
7 March 1998
Chesterfield
A
2–0
5,129
Morgan , Blake
14 March 1998
Millwall
H
1–2
12,318
Thorpe
21 March 1998
York City
A
1–0
4,871
Peschisolido
28 March 1998
Gillingham
A
0–2
10,507
4 April 1998
Preston North End
H
2–1
8,814
Brazier , Collins
7 April 1998
Walsall
H
1–1
6,733
Trollope
11 April 1998
Brentford
A
2–0
10,510
Moody (2)
13 April 1998
Carlisle United
H
5–0
9,243
Peschisolido (3), Moody (pen), Thorpe
18 April 1998
Burnley
A
1–2
9,745
Moody
25 April 1998
Northampton Town
A
0–1
7,443
2 May 1998
Watford
H
1–2
17,114
Beardsley
Second Division play-offs [ ]
Round
Date
Opponent
Venue
Result
Attendance
Goalscorers
SF 1st Leg
9 May 1998
Grimsby Town
H
1–1
13,954
Beardsley (pen)
SF 2nd Leg
13 May 1998
Grimsby Town
A
0–1 (lost 1–2 on agg)
8,689
FA Cup [ ]
Round
Date
Opponent
Venue
Result
Attendance
Goalscorers
R1
16 November 1997
Margate
A
2–1
5,100
Carpenter , Scott
R2
6 December 1997
Southend United
H
1–0
8,537
Blake (pen)
R3
5 January 1998
Tottenham Hotspur
A
1–3
27,909
Smith
League Cup [ ]
Round
Date
Opponent
Venue
Result
Attendance
Goalscorers
R1 1st Leg
12 August 1997
Wycombe Wanderers
A
2–1
4,360
Newhouse , Conroy
R1 2nd Leg
26 August 1997
Wycombe Wanderers
H
4–4 (won 6–5 on agg)
5,055
Newhouse (2), Carpenter , Conroy
R2 1st Leg
16 September 1997
Wolverhampton Wanderers
H
0–1
5,933
R2 2nd Leg
24 September 1997
Wolverhampton Wanderers
A
0–1 (lost 0–2 on agg)
17,862
[ ]
Round
Date
Opponent
Venue
Result
Attendance
Goalscorers
SR1
9 December 1997
Watford
H
1–0
3,364
Moody
SR2
13 January 1998
Wycombe Wanderers
H
3–1
4,319
Thomas (2), Freeman
SQF
27 January 1998
Luton Town
H
1–2
5,103
Lightbourne
Players [ ]
First-team squad [ ]
[2]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Transfers [ ]
In [ ]
Date
Pos.
Name
From
Fee
1 August 1997
DF
Jimmy Aggrey
Chelsea
Free transfer
1 August 1997
FW
Andy Arnott
Leyton Orient
£23,000
1 August 1997
MF
Neil Smith
Gillingham
Transfer
1 August 1997
GK
Andre Arendse
Cape Town Spurs
£200,000[3]
1 August 1997
FW
Paul Moody
Oxford United
£200,000
1 August 1997
DF
Ian McGuckin
Hartlepool United
£75,000
1 August 1997
MF
Steve Hayward
Carlisle United
£175,000
10 October 1997
MF
Paul Bracewell
Sunderland
£75,000
17 October 1997
MF
Ian Selley
Arsenal
£500,000
24 October 1997
FW
Paul Peschisolido
West Bromwich Albion
£1,100,000
14 November 1997
GK
Maik Taylor
Southampton
£700,000
26 November 1997
DF
Alan Neilson
Southampton
£250,000
27 November 1997
MF
Steve McAnespie
Bolton Wanderers
£100,000
27 November 1997
MF
Paul Trollope
Derby County
£600,000
1 December 1997
DF
Chris Coleman
Blackburn Rovers
£2,000,000
1 December 1997
MF
Shaun Maher
Bohemians
£35,000
22 January 1998
MF
Wayne Collins
Sheffield Wednesday
£400,000
30 January 1998
DF
Rufus Brevett
Queens Park Rangers
£375,000
26 February 1998
FW
Tony Thorpe
Luton Town
£800,000
20 March 1998
MF
Matt Brazier
Queens Park Rangers
£65,000
Out [ ]
Transfers in: £7,473,000
Transfers out: £295,000
Total spending: £7,178,000
References [ ]
Notes [ ]
^ Taylor was born in Hildesheim , West Germany , but qualified to represent any of the home nations internationally as he holds a British passport, and represented Northern Ireland at level before making his international debut for Northern Ireland in March 1999.
^ Neilson was born in Wegberg , West Germany , but also qualified to represent Wales internationally and made his international debut for Wales in February 1992.
^ Trollope was born in Swindon , England , but also qualified to represent Wales internationally and made his international debut for Wales in May 1997.
External links [ ]
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